


Engraved in Stone

by Kurokosou



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Other, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-14
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2017-11-09 23:13:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/459541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurokosou/pseuds/Kurokosou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A name engraved in stone can not be changed, but perhaps fate prefers to believe otherwise. If you were to glimpse of a future where you could see your fate, and know exactly how it would affect the people closest to you, would you alter it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Setting:** After series ends  
>  **Genre:** Hurt/Comfort/Angst  
>  **Rating:** G/PG  
>  **Warnings:** Uh... if you're prone to being overly emotional like me?... might want tissues...

### Engraved in Stone: Chapter One

He watched her from the doorway, leaning against the frame with nostalgic smile as she fiddled with the skirt of her dress. A hand checked the veil one last time, straightening out the sleeves, making sure the flowers in the bouquet had not fallen apart with all her meddling. The sun was filtering through the sheer curtains on the windows, creating an illuminating glow around her silhouette; he couldn't help the pride that was blossoming in his chest. Her dark chocolate brown eyes finally looked up to his presence, letting out a startled noise.

"Dad – you should've said something if you were here this whole time!" Kaede complained. Kotetsu only laughed before walking into the room, shrugging his shoulders.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me," he teased, lightly tapping her nose. The young woman only sighed, shaking her head at him before noticing his tie was a little crooked, putting the bouquet down to fix it up. Kotetsu let her, simply gazing at her hands make quick work of his tie, flattening out his coat collar with an approving nod.

"There – perfect!"

"Thank you my dear, but I could've done it myself."

"You would've done it properly the first time then – ties are part of your wardrobe after all," she simply replied. Kotetsu chuckled at the comeback, looking at his grown-up daughter with a tender smile; he reached a hand out for her cheek, gently brushing his thumb along her soft, fair skin.

"You look so much like your mother now… this really brings back memories," he sighed. Kaede only smiled softly at him, the two staring eye to eye for a moment before Kotetsu mocked fake tears, reaching out to pull her close to his chest. "Iya! Papa doesn't want you to get married yet! I don't want you to grow up!"

"Honestly – you're never going to see me as an adult, are you?" Kaede laughed, gently poking him in the side. Kotetsu released her, giving her a wink as he laughed in return.

"I can't help it – you could be a hundred years old with a full head of gray and still be my little baby girl," he answered teasingly. The woman only smiled, shaking her head as she reached to pick up her flowers; Kotetsu held out his arm for her to take, placing his hand over hers. "Shall we get going then? Your poor husband-to-be looked like he's going to faint any minute now."

Kaede only laughed, letting her father lead her out of the room and down the awaiting aisle to the altar. Kotetsu gave small nods in regards to the people he knew standing the pews – mostly the other Heroes, and a few associates from his work, finally getting to the stand where the priest, the groom and his mother were standing. He gave his daughter one last hug, receiving a kiss on the cheek in return before he handed her over to the man she was about to marry. Kotetsu thought he was a bit of nerd, but if Kaede was happy with him, then he didn't really mind much; he couldn't help but laugh at the thought that his family seemed to prefer partners with glasses.

Tomoe had worn glasses in high school, the woman his brother had finally married also wore glasses – even this man standing here holding hands with Kaede wore glasses, although right now he was wearing contacts since this was a special occasion. The vows were said, the rings exchanged and a kiss was shared; Kaede did the customary throw of the bouquet, the lucky woman catching it was none other than Karina Lyle, a deep blush coming to her face at all the teasing that she and Keith would be next. The reception and after party went as normal – a speech for the newly wedded couple, the cutting of the cake, the pair's first dance, the daughter's dance with her father, and of course the final surprise gift of an all-expense paid trip for a tropical honeymoon (courtesy of one Nathan Seymour). Kotetsu stumbled a little as he was being supported by his daughter and her now husband as they escorted him to his hotel room.

"Really, I'm fine – go off and have some private time together, yeah?" Kotetsu ushered, fumbling with clumsy hands for the key card to his room. Kaede gave him a worrying glance, helping him with the card as she slide it in and out of the slot, opening the door for him.

"Are you sure? I don't want you hurting yourself," she expressed. Kotetsu waved a hand in the air, giving her a drunk smile.

"Ii yo, ii – daijoubu dakara shinpai shinai yo!"

"You've definitely had too much to drink – you're slurring in Japanese now," she sighed, gently massaging her forehead. Her husband only smiled, shrugging his shoulders at the scene; Kotetsu placed a hand on her shoulder, giving his daughter a steady, serious smile.

"Really, I'll be fine, so go be with your husband for tonight, alright?" he pressured steadily. Kaede only gave him one last glance, before sighing and nodding her head. She called over her shoulder that they'd be four doors down the hall, and wished him a good night; Kotetsu waved, watching the couple walked down the hall before heading into his room, letting the door swing shut. He didn't bother with the lights, shrugging his dress coat off before reaching to undo the tie, tossing both articles over a vague shadow he presumed was a chair. He kicked off his shoes before nearly tumbling on to the bed as his knees bumped against it, groaning slightly as he felt around for the pillows, collapsing face first into the downy soft material.

It was hard to draw a steady, even breath like this and for a moment he couldn't bring himself to shift his position, wondering what it'd be like to suffocate like this. The silence of the room was eerily depressing, the thick-lined curtains drawn across the windows blocking out the city lights – for a moment, he felt like he really did die because of all this stillness. The slight burn in his chest said otherwise, Kotetsu heaving himself up to lay on his side with a heavy sigh, his body grateful at finally being able to breathe properly. His eyes had adjusted to the dark, able to make out vague outlines of the room, seeing a hint of a desk, an arm chair in the corner and a closed cabinet that no doubt housed a TV set.

He was half tempted to open that cabinet and turn the TV on for some noise sakes, but he didn't feel like getting off the bed, rolling on to his back to stare up at the ceiling. He lifted his left hand to his face, gazing at his ring finger to the two bands circling around it – a silver one and a gold one; he brought them down to his face, gently pressing them against his lips. He felt a prick of tears threatening to spill, quickly dismissing the thought as he turned back on his side, shoving his hands under the pillow. He had hoped the alcohol would've knocked him out into a dreamless sleep by now, but it was having the opposite effect as all these memories were swimming through his head. He gritted his teeth, burying his face hard enough into the pillow that he was sure he'd have marks in the morning; he wasn't going to cry – not on this night, not right after his daughter had the happiest moment of her life.

  
**-8-**   


The ride to the airport had been pleasant if not a bit nerve-wrecking – at least for Alden, who had reluctantly confessed he had a fear of flying. Kotetsu only nudged at Kaede, teasing her by saying he hoped she brought along something to knock the poor guy out. The woman only retorted by saying she had a perfectly capable right hook for that; they both laughed at the sulking pout the dark-haired man gave them, whining something about getting double teamed by father and daughter. Kotetsu could only walk them as far as check-in, standing by the security gates as he wished Kaede a safe trip.

"You sure you're going to be alright dad? I mean, we don't mind delaying the trip for a few more days," she asked anxiously. Kotetsu only smiled as he petted her head, earning him a sharp glare from the woman at the childish action.

"I'll be fine – plenty of people around to keep me company," he assured. "Besides this is a go or no-go deal, wouldn't want you to waste it."

"I'm just scared for you, dad – I mean in a few days it'll be…" she started off, but stopped unable to force herself to finish that sentence. Amber-honey eyes only looked at her sadly, strong arms reaching to hug her around the shoulders, pulling her close. Kaede made a startled noise as her father rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Don't you dare worry about me while on your honeymoon, got it? It'll be fine, I've got a strong support system here," he stated, slowly pulling away to face her eye to eye. "So don't worry, alright? I've got tons of things to keep me occupied." Chocolate-brown eyes only gave him tender, but sad look, Kaede slowly nodding her head as she felt his arms slide away from her sides. She caught his hands for a moment, earning a puzzling blink, but she didn't look at him.

"You're not cursed, dad; please don't stop reaching out and being happy," she murmured softly. Kotetsu only looked at her with a sad smile, pulling his hands out of hers before ushering her on her way. Alden was still waiting with the tickets and the carryon bags, Kaede wishing one last goodbye to her father, receiving a peck on the forehead before joining her husband.

"Be sure to make a grandchild for me while you're on holiday!" Kotetsu called out jokingly after them. Kaede blushed, throwing a glare over her shoulder as she yelled back at him.

"Ah mou! You're embarrassing sometimes!" Alden only laughed as she took his hand, dragging him through the gate. He stood around for a few minutes even after he could no longer see them on the other side, letting out a heavy sigh as he put his hands into his pockets and headed out to where he had parked his car. The radio station was tuned in on some talk shows, but the words barely registered with him as he drove back home, pulling into the driveway leading up to a lofty complex. He had barely taken three steps through his front door when the home phone rang, walking over to pick the handset up.

"Kaburagi speaking?"

"Yo, Kotetsu – have you shipped off the happy couple yet?" It was Antonio. Kotetsu shrugged off the sports jacket he was wearing, draping it over the back of the couch before walking over to the open kitchen.

"Aa – they should be on the plane by now; what's up?"

"Thought I'd get you out to come celebrate tonight."

"Celebrate what?"

"Your daughter's marriage of course!" the other chimed. Kotetsu only sighed as he nudged the cabinet door shut after retrieving a small bottle of whiskey.

"Not really in the mood…" he started before getting cut off by a different voice.

"Oh don't say that, honey~" Nathan's playful flirty voice sounded on the line. He must've stolen the phone from Antonio; an unsightly squeal in the background confirmed it. "It's not every day your daughter has a wedding – besides, everyone's going to be there, so come by for old time's sake?" He could hear Antonio's hushed, frantic voice complaining about the assault on his ass, Nathan giving some witty comeback in return of course. Kotetsu laughed as he leaned back against the counter, sighing into the phone.

"Guess there's no helping it then – what time and where?"

"Hmm, say nine sharp? The usual place?" Nathan informed. Kotetsu made a mental note of it, nodding into the phone before he hung up. Grabbing the little round bottle, he walked back out towards the living room area to place the handset back in its stand. He started gathering up all the loose papers spewed about the coffee table, shuffling them into a pile before heading towards a door adjacent to right that lead to his work space. It was just a little past one o'clock, leaving him with about seven hours' worth to get some writing done before he headed out to meet with everyone at the bar.

  
**-8-**   


The bar was relatively empty saved for their group, having reserved it for the night; the evening had started off light and later somehow devolved into a drinking contest between Antonio, Karina and Ivan. Of course, Antonio was winning, but the two blonds were too stubborn to admit defeat, despite that Karina was starting to throw a whiny fit and Ivan was slurring his words between English and Russian. Kotetsu kept mostly to the corner, nursing a glass of his usual shochu as he watched his old high school friend cream the younger adults in a battle of alcohol.

"Amazing how much people change, isn't it?" a soft sweet voice asked from the side. Amber-honey eyes looked up to the pink-haired man hovering over him, scooting aside the booth to allow the other to sit. He chuckled.

"That goes for you too, you know – you're not exactly making heads turn like you used to five years ago," Kotetsu pointed out, taking a slow and languid sip from his glass. Nathan only smiled, tracing a finger along the rim of his wine glass.

"That's true too, but I have valid reasons for toning down a little," he argued back.

"Speaking of which – it is alright for you to be here?"

"It's fine once in a while, isn't it? Besides – I have a very reliable assistant who doesn't mind doing overnights," Nathan excused, taking a sip of his white wine. Kotetsu only looked at him with a nagging smile, leaning his chin in his palm.

"Such an irresponsible woman," he teased. Nathan only gave him a playful pout, not so gently jabbing the man in the stomach with his elbow. The little contest was finally put to a stop when Edward took Ivan under the arms, trying to hoist him up out of his seat to get the smaller man some fresh air. Keith took Karina by the shoulder, trying to talk the woman down from her fit with a nervous smile; she wasn't really helping him keep his nerves as she kept groping the dark blond in rather inappropriate places. Antonio taunted something about getting a room, downing the remains of his glass in victory that he out drank both of the youngers – again. Pao-lin had passed out an hour ago from the numerous shots she had already consumed, Antonio's coat covering her shoulders to keep the draft off her neck. Kotetsu only sighed, shaking his head at the ruckus as Edward took Ivan outside and Keith tried his best to get Karina to behave.

"Seriously – how do these things always end up with at least three people piss drunk," he muttered, taking another sip. Nathan only chuckled, shrugging his shoulders casually watching the idol singer practically tongue-fuck her boyfriend's face.

"Best to let them get it out of their systems; I'm sure in another three years they'll drink themselves out of it."

"Well for Karina's case, maybe sooner if she doesn't stop having drunk sex with Keith."

"At least they're already dating, so it's more like a bonus really." The two sat in a moment of silence, glancing at each other before breaking down into a soft laughing fit. Kotetsu slumped back against the booth, staring up at the dark ceiling with an empty gaze; rose coloured eyes glanced at him, hesitating for a moment before linking arms with the dark-haired man. Kotetsu only blinked at the man cuddling up against him, seeing a soft, tender smile on dark features.

"Want me to follow you home tonight?" Nathan asked sweetly. Kotetsu recognized that tone, giving the man a sad smile as he shook his head.

"Nah, its fine – besides, shouldn't you be going home?"

"Ah, I told Mira I'd call once I had some definite plans; like I said she doesn't mind doing overnights," he winked. Kotetsu only laughed, deciding to humor the other by planting a light peck against his temple.

"Thanks, but – I'd rather be alone for a while… at least until _that_ day is over," he murmured quietly. Nathan only looked at him with a somber gaze, sighing softly to himself before he slowly released Kotetsu's arm. The two sat in silence with their drinks, watching as their companions made merry and drank the night away.

  
**-8-**   


A shrilling digitized siren screeched through the air, announcing that it was now seven in the morning; a thin stream of light was peeking through the tiny crack between the drawn curtains. The weather forecast was going to be cloudy with a chance of rain today – fitting, somehow considering what day it was. Honey-amber eyes stared listlessly at the cream coloured ceiling, letting the alarm continue ringing as he simply lay on his back in bed. He felt like he hadn't slept at all last night and if he had – it hadn't been for very long. Finally feeling a headache coming on from the piercing tone of his alarm, he reached a hand to slam it off, sitting up with a slight groan. He sat up in bed for a good ten minutes before somehow mustering the energy to get up, wash up and get dressed for the day.

He didn't turn on the TV, he didn't want to – not when he'd be seeing thousands of reminders, posts, public news castings, everything talking about what had been lost this day. He brushed his teeth after breakfast, debated between shaving and not shaving, ran a comb quickly through his hair to make it look less bed-ridden and glanced at the clock. It was almost ten. He hadn't gotten out the door yet when the phone rang; he almost didn't want to pick it up, fearing which one of the friends it would be this time. So he was surprised when it was his daughter, calling from her vacation to check up on him. That helped a little, hearing how well her vacation was going, how Alden got sunburned on the first day and was now "peeling like a snake" thanks to that. He laughed hearing the poor guy sulking in the background; she was definitely his daughter.

By the time he had stepped out of the house, it was already ten to twelve; the clouds were darkening even more, the threat of rain looming over the crowds as he walked through the streets. He stopped at the floral shop, gazing out the front window while he waited for the bunch to be put together, and the drops started falling. Slowly, at first, giving a sufficient warning to the people walking out and about, before pouring down in sheets moments later; good thing he brought a large umbrella. He thanked the store clerk for the flowers, paid and hovered under the awning while he put up his umbrella and went on his way.

October 31st – it was a day almost everyone in the Stern Bild knew and most likely would never forget, not for a very long while. Kotetsu knew he'd never forget, he couldn't afford to no matter how much it pained him to think about it. There were many shops, stores, little places housing red flags in their windows, on their doors – it had become a sort of unspoken tradition lately. The more diehard fans were dressed completely in red, some even wearing similar jacket styles and the exact same style of glasses as they listened to radio broadcasts, news casts, talk shows – all for this day.

Kotetsu kept his head and umbrella low, not wanting anyone to recognize his face; he could remember how it all started – how it became like this. They had been out together – a date, he could probably call it, although he was sure they'd both deny it simply for publicity sake. The day had been unbearably hot, but having the bright sun shining after five days of rain, it was a welcomed price. They had managed to avoid holding hands for all of ten seconds, before Kotetsu just instinctively grabbed him, pulling him along as they went about their "date". He could still hear his voice in his head – clear as it had been two years ago.

_"W-wait! Kotetsu! We're out in public!" Barnaby complained, a slight blush coming to his face at the hand tugging his. The other only gave him a wide grin, tightening his hold even more._

_"It's fine like this, right? You see so many young people doing it these days, they're not even distinguishing between friends or lovers anymore," Kotetsu countered. The blush darkened on handsome features, Barnaby reaching a hand to push his glasses up._

_"You're not making any sense – as usual. Besides, two grown men seen holding hands – we're not teenagers you know!"_

_"Geeze, you're no fun at all Bunny," he teased, but he let the blonde's hand go all the same. Barnaby only huffed, but nodded his head in approval as they went about their outing. It was a rare day off for them – from work, from being Heroes, and Kotetsu wasn't about to let it all go to waste by sitting at home and "reading" when they finally had some sunshine. They walked around for several hours, stopping in a café for an early afternoon tea, stopping a few times when something in a store window caught their attention, or getting stopped by fans and the like. It wasn't until they decided to head home for the day that Kotetsu noticed Barnaby seemed paler than usual._

_"Are you alright, Bunny?"_

_"…I'm fine, why do you ask?"_

_"You just don't look so well, that's all… wait – wow, you're really starting to sweat," Kotetsu pointed out worryingly. He stopped them for a moment, holding blond bangs back as he put the back of his hand against the clammy, cold forehead. "You don't seem to have a temperature…"_

_"I think I just need more fluids – we have been walking for a while and it's quite warm out today."_

_"That's probably it," Kotetsu glanced around them before seeing a convenient store not too far away from them. "Ah, wait here – I'll get some water for you." The blond only nodded his head; Kotetsu turned away from him, barely taking five steps before he heard something from behind him. He whipped his head around to see Barnaby face down on the ground, a cold shiver running down his spine as he ran over to the unconscious man. He shook him firmly as he held the blond up in his arms._

_"Bunny! Oi! Barnaby!"_

The rain was not letting up, and probably wouldn't for the rest of the day; he couldn't help but feel how perfect the setting was as he stood in front of the opened wrought iron gates. He couldn't move for a few minutes, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain as it poured around him, drumming against the umbrella as it rolled off the plastic material. He held the bouquet close – white lilies and lilacs, with a touch of marigolds giving it a light splash of colour. Taking in a deep breath he forced himself forward, stepping through the muddy grounds as he weaved in and out of the gravestones.

  
**-8-**   


_"Dementia?"_

_"Well, we say it's that, but… the deterioration is like nothing we've ever seen before; it's progressing far too rapidly, and it seems to be only targeting his motor functions," the doctor explained. "His recognition and cognitive thinking still seem to be in top form, but at the rate this is developing – he won't even be able to function within a year's time." He could only stare at the man with shocked, wide eyes as the news settled in his mind. He thought something had been off with his partner lately – it was always little things, things that both parties brushed off as flukes or bad day moments. All the times when Barnaby had dropped something, when he had troubling curling his fingers to pick things up – they had seemed trivial at first, so Kotetsu allowed it to be ignored. Then it started happening all too frequently, especially for someone like Barnaby._

_He was losing his footing a lot more lately, sometimes he couldn't get his body to move the way he wanted to – something Kotetsu particularly noticed in the bedroom. All this time he had been trying to keep a positive light, convincing himself that nothing had been wrong with his partner. He wished he could keep pretending nothing was wrong now, but it would've been discovered eventually; it hurt even more that there was nothing that could be done about it either. They headed home after that and simply sat in silence, still trying to wrap around the reality that was happening. They didn't talk, least not until Kotetsu suddenly stormed off to the bedroom, throwing himself face first into the pillows, failing miserably at holding back his tears._

_Barnaby walked in a lot later to give the man time to calm down, carefully crawling on to the bed sitting beside him as he gently rubbed the back facing him. They simply held each other for an endless eternity of silence, Kotetsu burying his face against the blonde's shoulder as they talked about the situation, how they were going to break the news to their friends, to their boss, the fans and plan out what little time they had left together. It hadn't been easy; the announcement on live TV made it stick even more, thousands of letters and gifts flooding in expressing their sadness, their grief for the impeding loss of a great Hero._

_Barnaby retired when he could no longer keep his hands closed, residing to staying at home, taking frequent trips to the hospital to monitor his condition. Kotetsu had stepped down as Wild Tiger months after to take care of him when the simple act of eating started becoming difficult. Before the year was over, Barnaby was permanently admitted to the hospital, where he'd spend the remainder of his life. The others visited as much as they could, despite their busy schedules of keeping the peace and protecting the city. Kaede was somehow finding time in her busy college schedule to visit her idol Hero quite frequently, despite all the constant nags from her father that she should be focusing on her studies. She usually was able to shut him up about it by getting top marks on her exams; she wasn't there just for Barnaby, but for her father as well. She wanted to be there, to give him encouragements, to give him support and to do all the little silly, childish things he wanted to do with her, despite that she was almost twenty-one._

_Half a year passed in that manner, and the day before the 31st of October, Barnaby's clinical ward was adorned with gifts and flowers and cards – all to celebrate his thirty-seventh birthday. Kotetsu try to make light of it, saying everyone was acting like he'd die before tomorrow even came; he got a weak smile and barely audible laugh, but it was enough. It was hard, staring at the frail being lying in the bed, hooked up to all sorts of wires and machines monitoring what little life was left in him. The once handsome face looked tired and beaten, his cheekbones having become more prominent as his weight dropped; his bright green eyes have dulled, the light they once held was gone, replaced by a cloudy, darker shadow._

_Kotetsu tried to keep positive, complaining about all the needless worrying and badgering he's been receiving from – just about every person he knew on the face of the earth. It was relief to see a smile, even if it was weak, hearing that soft, weary voice as Barnaby tried to answer from time to time. Kotetsu then decided he had been cooped up in the hospital for too long and swore he'd get the blond out to see the stars tomorrow night; a special birthday treat, he excused. Barnaby didn't seem to object – actually, he even agreed to it, saying he was tired of being here as well. So with that in mind, Kotetsu promised, saying he'd find a way to get the poor man out of the hospital and out for a night on the town._

_Tomorrow came sooner than later, many people giving their regards and holding their breaths as they waited for the much dreaded news. So far, there were no heavy tears yet to shed. He didn't arrive until early evening, just as the sun was beginning to set turning the sky a brilliant orange-red. He helped the other into a coat, before maneuvering the seemingly lifeless body to hoist on his back, adjusting his hands into a steadier holding. He checked to make sure his partner was comfortable first, receiving a soft hum before he headed over to the window he opened, scouting out below to make sure no one was watching. With years of experience, he jumped down with a surprising grace that one wouldn't think was possible while piggy-backing someone._

_Kotetsu checked the area once again, before quickly dashing off, carrying Barnaby on his back as they escaped the hospital grounds and out into the open streets of Stern Bild. It was amazingly easy to navigate around the crowds, no one really stopping them or paying much attention to the odd sight of a grown man carrying another grown man on his back. No one really recognized him anymore – long, silken blond curls had been cut short ages ago to make it easier to manage; that and the coat was covering most of Barnaby's face as Kotetsu walked them through the city, chatting and pointing out the sights. There would be a soft hum, or a silent laugh from the man at his silly ranting, but Barnaby seemed content to just listening to his mindless prattle._

_After a while, he went completely silent, but Kotetsu didn't mind as he kept talking and walking, occasionally adjusting his arms to accommodate the light weight. It hurt, having the other feel so light in his arms, that he felt like he was holding a child. They finally got to the outskirts of the city, away from the bright lights, the noisy traffic, amber-brown eyes looking up at the beautiful starry sky._

_"Oh man – it's easy to forget we have stars, huh Bunny? The city is so bright and crowded, it completely blocks them out," he raved. A star suddenly shot across the sky, leaving a streaking trail of light behind it before it disappeared in the distance. "Ooh! A shooting star! That's a pretty rare sight to see – ah, damn, should've made a wish, haha…" There was no sound as Kotetsu simply stood there staring up at the night sky, a sad smile on his face._

_"Na… thanks… really, thanks – for everything… I love you, Barnaby…" he could feel a single tear slide down his face, his hands tightening as he continued to look up at the blinking stars. "Happy Birthday…"_

  
**-8-**   


The rain seemed to fall even heavier than before, beating harder against the plastic of the umbrella, the sound echoing off into the empty sky. He placed the flowers down carefully on the soaked grave marker, not really caring for the hem of his long coat getting wet or muddied. He didn't read the name engraved – or the epitaph that had been etched into it; he didn't write it, the program came up with it from the comments from fans. He didn't think he'd have the stability to write one anyways – not for him.

Kotetsu straightened up, putting his free hand into his coat pocket, watching the rain drops dampen and drown the petals, running down the stems through the wrapping. There was almost a strange sense of eloquence as he imagined the buds crying tears for him at the loss. He stood there for the longest while, just watching the water pour from the sky before he decided it was best to head home – he could feel his feet starting to go numb from the icy, cold water leaking into his shoes. The streets were, unsurprisingly empty as most normal beings wouldn't be out in horrible weather like this unless it was urgent. The number of cars was sparse, but still running as people went to and from wherever they went, the world still turning as it would always do.

There was a crash and tumbling of empty aluminum cans and glass bottles that startled him as he passed by an alleyway, amber-brown eyes looking into the shadowed end out of reflex. He relaxed seeing nothing out of the ordinary, muttering under his breath about a stray cat. He heard a groan, halting in his steps as his eyes went wide in surprise. That was not a cat. He ran back into the alley, kicking the trash bags aside as he tried to identify who had groaned, calling out into the rain.

"Oi! Is anyone here? Are you alright?" He managed to clear away one bag that revealed a shape of a person, unconscious but seemingly unhurt for now. He squatted down beside them, reaching a hand out to shake them by the shoulder. "Hey – are you alright? What happened to you?" He turned them on their back to see their face, his eyes flying open in shock; the umbrella slipped from his hands as he stumbled back, not sure he could believe what he was seeing as a fear rose in his chest.

"…what…the _hell_ is this…"

  
**-Chapter One/End-**   



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Setting:** After series ends  
>  **Genre:** Hurt/Comfort/Angst  
>  **Rating:** G/PG

### Engraved in Stone: Chapter Two

It felt like hours as the phone rang on the other end, making him feel antsy as he drummed his fingers against his knee. He caught himself glancing to the door behind him, hidden by the corner of the half wall separating the kitchen from the living room. He was getting more anxious with each ring, making it seem like it was the ninetieth time instead of the forth before a woman's voice answered the line.

"Hello, Dr. Kim Rake's office?"

"Ah Susan, its Kotetsu – Kaburagi, Kotetsu," he answered. There was a surprised tone in the woman's voice as she spoke.

"Ah, Mr. Kaburagi! Is everything alright?"

"I – I'm not sure; is Kim there?" he asked, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"I'm sorry, but Dr. Kim is away on an observational trip; she won't be back for another three weeks," the secretary explained. "Do you need to speak with her urgently?"

"Ah, no – I was wondering if I could get her to fill out my prescription again. I think…I think the hallucinations are coming back…" he explained hesitantly, a hand reaching through dark auburn hair. There was a thoughtful hum on the other end before the woman spoke again.

"There is another doctor in office that might be able to do that for you – Dr. Kim has your files on hand, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"That'd be great – when's the earliest I can come?"

"Tomorrow is fine, if that's alright with you?"

"I'll drop by before lunch hour tomorrow then."

"Would you like me to inform Dr. Kim you called when she returns?"

"Please – I'll call later if I feel like I need to talk with her," he said. The woman wished him a good day, said goodbye and then hung up; Kotetsu felt a little bit relieved, staring at the phone in his hands before he placed it on the coffee table in front of him. This wasn't the first time it's happened – it occurred long before he met Barnaby. When Tomoe died, there were times when he thought she was still there, that he could still reach out and touch her, that he could still feel the heat of her skin, the warmth of her breath in his ear. Those had usually occurred when he was really drunk though, and the illusions eventually stopped when he sobered up a little. So when they started happening after Barnaby died while he was sober, he knew he couldn't brush it off like last time.

He had been reluctant to seek external professional help to sort out these delusions, but the last thing he wanted was to mentally breakdown to the brink of insanity every time he thought he saw the blond sitting in their living room, or standing in the kitchen preparing his favorite drink. Kotetsu folded his hands together, leaning his chin against them as he leaned forward on his knees. Honey-amber eyes glanced back to the door behind him, aching to walk in and confirm what he saw and yet terrified all the same. It could just be another diehard fan – there were plenty who've dressed up as him on this day. Kotetsu always thought it was border-lining obsessive behavior, but perhaps he was just tormented by the fact that some of them were extremely good – really good.

He looked back to the space in front of him, closing his eyes as he took in deep, shaky breaths to calm his mind down. There was no way the man currently lying in his bed was another impersonator; he had spent so much time with the blond, watching him, touching him – he knew practically every inch of his body. The soft, smooth plains of his skin, the subtle dip from his cheekbones to his jaw, the way fine blond brows would slope when he was truly relaxed. His hands tightened, dark brows furrowing in frustration as he tried to make heads or tails of this; he hadn't moved for a good ten minutes after seeing the face of the unconscious body. He only managed to snap out of the terrified daze when the man groaned, realizing that it was still pouring down rain in the start of a cold autumn, and that there was a person knocked out and possibly injured.

Kotetsu buried his face in his hands, the patter of the rain outside beating against the windows as the minutes ticked on. He tried to settled the fear in his stomach – it was just another illusion, just another projection he was putting out on to some unlucky fellow he just happened to find in the rain. Everything would be fine in the morning – he'd go to Kim's office, get the medicine and come back home and everything would be normal again. He let out a shuddering breath, taking one last peek at the bedroom door; good thing his work office had a fold away cot he could use for tonight.

  
**-8-**   


There was a shimmer of sunlight peering through the crack in the curtains, a very distinct sound of birds chirping faintly in the distance could be heard as his eyes twitched for a moment, slowly blinking open as he welcomed the morning light. He groaned, reaching a hand to his head as he tried to remember what happened last, slowly sitting up in the bed. He felt his right shoulder twinge as he sat up, letting out a low hiss at the pain. It was slowly starting to come back to him now, as the past events pieced together bit by bit.

He and Kotetsu had gone out for their lunch break and with some time to spare they decided to enjoy the good day and take a little walk. Along the way, they just happen to run across a convenient store being robbed and sprang into action. The thief was not expecting any sort of Heroes to be around – first or second tier – but he seemed well prepared for anything, pulling out a grappling hook and making his escape on the roof. Kotetsu said he'd watch the ground, save up his 1-minute for when they really needed it so Barnaby activated his own powers and took off to the roof tops after the thief. He vaguely remembered catching up to the guy – at least until he slipped while trying to jump the ledges.

Barnaby groaned as he remembered losing his footing; he was never going to live that down if his partner ever found out he had a rare "klutz" moment. The twinge in his shoulder brought him back to the present at hand, reaching a hand to gently massage it; it was probably bruised from the fall, but other than that nothing seemed to be broken. It was odd though – he could remember most of the fall, but he didn't remember hitting the ground at all. The blond let out a curious hum as he tried to recall it, brows knitted together as the memory of falling evaded him. He sighed and gave up for now – it wasn't really all that important now. What _was_ important though, was informing his partner he was fine and to find out what happened to the thief they were chasing.

Now he finally took notice of his environment, blinking as he didn't recognize the room at all; even without his glasses he could tell that this was definitely not his apartment. Was he at Kotetsu's? No, it didn't look like it either; he's been to the man's new place once not too long ago. He pulled the bed sheets aside, looking down at himself to realize that his clothes had also been changed. Kotetsu did say he was watching the ground, right? Surely the man would've found him first and not a complete stranger – unless he nearly fell on top of said stranger, which was horrifying in itself to think about. He shook the thought from his head, glancing to a side table, vaguely making out his glasses sitting folded neatly on the surface.

The world became much clearer once he put them on, taking a better glance around this mysterious room he somehow happen to wake up in. He really had no way to describe it except that it looked like something you'd see from one of those "good homes" magazines. Across the room were two shelves, both reaching to the tall ceiling, adorned with books, decorative bookends, figurines and what not; there was a built-in closet on the right side of the room, taking up a quarter of the wall, a single window donning the diagonal wall between. He noticed the door to his left, no doubt leading to the rest of the house and where he'd hopefully find his host.

"Hello?" he called out as he eased the door open. He couldn't help the slightly stunned reaction as he walked into the living room; definitely the kind of home you would expect to be featured in a magazine. It had a strange mix of modern, yet classy feel to it, the dominating colour white with a few dark coloured deco here and there. The center led down to a sunken area, separating half the house in an "L" formation, distinguishing the sitting area from everything else. A large white modular sofa took up most of the space, facing towards a large boxed shelf pinned back against the wall, housing a decent size flat-screen, more books and little statues gracing the empty spaces. There was a door in the far right corner, which most likely lead to another room; stairs stood in front of him leading up to a small upper loft above him.

Whoever's house this was, it was more than apparent they were fairly well-off and he was starting to feel a little anxious about the events that led up to him being here. Barnaby sighed, before noticing a shelf to his left carved out into the wall, eyeing the photo frames lining the surface; he leaned over to take a peek at the pictures, forest green eyes going wide at the faces behind the glass frames. He's only glanced at them a few times, but there was no mistaking the man dressed in a white tux, standing by a very pretty woman in a flowing white dress. There was a young girl dressed in a pink and black ice skating costume, another one where she was even younger being held up in the arms of the man from the wedding picture, one where she was standing alongside an older looking woman. Barnaby recognized all these as the pictures that Kotetsu graced his home with. There were a few though, that he's never seen before. One where the dark-haired man was standing with a young woman, who looked suspiciously a lot like his late wife, wearing a dark blue graduation cap and gown; one where he recognized the man as Kotetsu's older brother dressed in a white tux also standing with a woman wearing a white dress.

Though there was one photo that particularly caught his attention, reaching out a hesitant hand to pick it up and take a better look at it. Barnaby was fairly certain it was him and Kotetsu in this photo, smiling, arms around each other's shoulders as they posed for the picture being taken at the time. There was something – different; Barnaby couldn't quite place it. They were obviously somewhere tropical, judging by the background and the fact that Kotetsu looked a little darker than normal. Even Barnaby himself looked slightly tanner in the photo; something that was a miracle in itself, considering how easily his fair skin burns. There was a loud _crash_ behind him, Barnaby glancing over his shoulder to the source surprised that Kotetsu _was_ actually standing behind him. Something was wrong though. Barnaby put the photo frame back down slowly, turning to face his partner taking slow steps towards him as he spoke.

"Kotetsu…" he wasn't expecting the reaction he got – actually, he was completely blown away as the other took a hasty step back, holding his arms up in defense.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted. Barnaby froze on the spot, looking at the other confused; he was used to hearing Kotetsu yell from time to time, but that was usually in frustration or when he felt something was going against his code of justice. This kind of shout, this fear was different. He's never seen the man look so terrified before.

"…Kotetsu? What happened? Is everything alright?" Barnaby asked hesitantly, worrying about what could've happened to make the man like this. He was shaking, turning his gaze to the floor to avoid looking at the blond, hands curling into fists.

"Why can't you just leave me alone…" he muttered fearfully. "This isn't real…you're not here…you can't be…"

"Kotetsu – please calm down; did someone do this to you? Please tell me what happened," Barnaby started to move towards him again, cautiously. Kotetsu raised his head up, the blond surprised by the traces of hostility mingling with the fear as the dark-haired man took a step forward.

"STOP FUCKING WITH MY HEAD!" he lunged forward, but Barnaby wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do as his bare foot stepped on the shards of broken glass forgotten on the floor. Kotetsu hissed as he stumbled back, falling to the floor gripping at his leg at the stinging pain riding up from his foot. Barnaby rushed to his side in an instant, trying to help him up, but Kotetsu smacked his hand away, shaking his head as he muttered and cursed at him. It took the blond twenty minutes to calm the injured man down, trying to convince him that he wasn't an illusion. Once he was allowed to go near the other Barnaby helped him up, supporting the man as they made their way down the three steps, sitting him down on the sofa before looking for the first aid kit.

Kotetsu had a strangely passive expression on his face as he pointed out where the kit was, Barnaby coming back with it to tend to the bleeding wound on his foot. The blond was surprised when he noticed a tiny mole on the bottom of Kotetsu's foot – he didn't know the man had it. There was some small glass shards embedded in his skin, Barnaby fishing through the kit to find a pair of long tweezers to pull them out before he cleaned up the blood and dressed the injury. Kotetsu hissed and flinched at the pain, but overall remained still; Barnaby was uneasy with this. Usually the man would be whining like a child or blabbing out some lame jokes about the situation; it was strange to see him act – well, act like an adult for once.

Having gotten all the pieces out of his skin, Barnaby then applied the disinfectant, the man instinctively flinching away from the pain, before taking in a sharp breath and endured it. Barnaby looked up at him as he wrapped the gauze around the other's foot, really taking in a good look at his partner and startled by what he was seeing. The first thing he noticed right away was that Kotetsu's trademark "kittens" had been shaven off his face, but he still had some form of a beard growing in; his hair was shorter, stopping at the base of his neck instead of just a little past his shoulders. There were silver streaks running through his hair, but they were patterned in such a way that it looked more like highlights than aging. The lines under his eyes had become more noticeable, faint laugh lines forming around the corners of his mouth. All in all – the man looked much older than Barnaby remembered last.

He finished wrapping up the wound, sitting back on his heels as looked up at Kotetsu, seeing a blank expression on his face. Barnaby shifted a little, glancing to the side as he tried to figure out what had happened during his fall, and why his partner suddenly looked ten years older. Kotetsu didn't say anything as he simply stared at the young blond kneeling in front of him; if this wasn't a delusion, than what was this? A dream? Was he still sleeping? But – you can't feel pain in your dreams… can you? Barnaby suddenly stood up to his feet, remembering that there was still broken glass and spilled liquid all over the floor behind them.

"Should clean that up before either of us gets hurt," he excused. "Um… where do you keep the dustbin?"

"…closet under the stairs… top shelf where… where you always kept it…" Kotetsu answered shakily, raising a hand to point to the door hiding under the open stairwell. Barnaby only nodded, walking over to the closet to retrieve the dustbin to clean up the glass; he found a rag alongside with it, grabbing that to clean up the liquid spreading across the wooden floor. Somehow he wasn't all that surprised it was alcohol as he swept the glass up first, then used the rag to soak it up. No words passed between them as Barnaby discarded the glass into the trash, rinsing out the rag before leaving it on the edge of the sink to dry. He washed the dustbin first, shook the excess water off, dried it and went to put it back in the closet. Kotetsu hadn't looked up at him the entire time he was moving about.

Barnaby closed up the first aid kit, setting it aside under the coffee table before taking a cautious seat next to the man. The dark-haired man seemed lost in his thoughts. A pale hand reached out carefully to tap his shoulder.

"…Kotetsu…" He flinched, slapping the hand away on reflex. Kotetsu seemed just as startled by the reaction, lowering his hand as he murmured an apology. Barnaby withdrew his hand, the two falling into silence as each tried to figure out what was going on and possible ways to handle this – delicate situation. Barnaby jumped at the hand cupping his cheek, mint green eyes turning to face the other, seeing a mix of disbelief, fear and hurt in honey-brown eyes.

"…a-are you…are you really Barnaby?" he asked. It was odd hearing the old veteran use his real name.

"…Is there any reason to doubt otherwise?" the blond asked in a return. The hand on his face moved down to his shoulder, pinching him a vice grip.

"What…what was the gift you received on your forth birthday? Before your parents died?"

"…What does that have to do with this…?"

"Please – just answer the question!" the grip was painful, but the desperation in Kotetsu's voice was even more piercing.

"…I got a toy robot from my parents – it was pretty much the last thing I received from them before Maverick killed them."

"And that toy was more precious to you than any gold in the world…" the grip loosened, Kotetsu's hand sliding away from his shoulder. Barnaby only blinked, still not sure what the question was meant to prove before he was startled by the sudden tears slowly rolling down the older man's face. He reached a hand out, but Kotetsu jerked away, furiously wiping at his eyes as he cursed softly. "Shit… sorry, but this is just… overwhelming, I guess…"

"What happened to you? You look… different; did something happen while we were chasing that thief?" the blond asked. Amber-brown eyes blinked at him through the tears in confusion.

"Thief? Wait… what's the date today?"

"Um, it's – April 17th."

"What year?"

"1980… wait, what's going on here? Please don't tell me this is some kind of prank or something? Because this is going too far," Barnaby nagged in annoyance. There was a heavy silence as Kotetsu only gave him a strange look, turning over what he was told in his head. Barnaby shifted, not sure what the date had to do with this, but he had a feeling it would provide some answers once the other explained it properly. Kotetsu folded his hands, leaning forward on his knees.

"…thirteen years…" he whispered. Mint green eyes only blinked at him. "But – how… from that far back… What's the last thing you remember?" Kotetsu asked, straightening up as he turned to gaze at him.

"You and I went out for lunch today… well, I suppose now its yesterday; and we just happened to run into a thief along the way. He tried to escape on the roof so I followed him and you stayed on the ground just in case," the blond explained. Kotetsu hummed as he racked his brain for the event, making a small affirmative noise once he remembered.

"Ah, I remember that… but that doesn't explain _why_ you're here; did anything else happen?"

"… I – slipped…" Barnaby confessed embarrassingly, turning his face away from the older man to hide the small blush on his face. "I lost my footing during one of the jumps and fell, but – everything between that and waking up here is a blank."

"…I don't remember you falling," Kotetsu finally explained after several minutes of silence. Now it was Barnaby's turn to blink at him in confusion. "No, seriously – you caught the guy without any problems and we went back to work; got chewed out by Lloyds for being late, but other than that…" They regarded each other with a strange silence, before glancing off to different corners of the spacious living room. They remembered different things – Barnaby's presence here hadn't changed anything for Kotetsu's past memories, despite this unlikely meeting. A thought struck the blond as he remembered what the other had muttered earlier.

"Before what you said… what – what's the date for you today?"

"…November 1st… N.C. 1993…" Kotetsu answered hesitantly. Mint green eyes only widened in surprise.

"But that's…"

"Thirteen years from your time," Kotetsu finished. Aside from the nature noises muted outside the windows, there was barely a sound between them. Barnaby slumped back against the sofa, staring up into the space in front of him as the thought sunk in; thirteen years – he had jumped thirteen years into the future and he had no idea how that occurred. Had the thief been a NEXT? No, then he would've used his powers to change the event if he had the ability to control time. Had someone else been there that caused this? Slender fingers ran through blond curls, trying to make sense of all this. Kotetsu wasn't fairing any better, a hand massaging his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose. After a while, the man sighed, standing up slowly to his feet, mindful of the injury he received.

"I don't know how you came to be here, or how you'll go back, but – um, well – you're welcome to help yourself," he made a vague gesture around the room. Barnaby only hummed, nodding his head in thanks. Kotetsu rubbed the back of his neck, carefully hobbling over to the door across the room. "Um, just ask if – if you need anything… I'll be in here."

"Do you – do you mind if we talk a little longer?" Barnaby asked nervously. The dark-auburn haired man paused for a moment, but he didn't look at him.

"Sorry, but I have a lot of work I need to do; tight deadline," he excused. Barnaby only made a noise in acknowledgement, watching the broad back disappearing through the door, hearing it click shut. The blond simply sat there for a few minutes, glancing around the room again with a different perspective; this wasn't like the old man's style, but for some reason he blended right in perfectly. There was a low growl from his stomach as Barnaby realized that he most likely hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday – his yesterday at least. He stood up and wandered into the open kitchen, admiring the marble counters that he had missed when he was cleaning up the mess, before opening the fridge door. It was surprising to see actual substantial food contents on the shelves, instead of the typical leftovers he remembered seeing on the few occasions he visited his partner's home.

He settled with some greens, pulling out a few vegetables to toss together a simple salad, standing at the counter as he ate. He washed the utensils he used, placed them on the drying rack to dry and then wondered what to do now. He glanced over to the closed door his partner's older self had disappeared through, wondering what kind of "work" it was the man was doing. He couldn't really picture the veteran doing anything else but Hero work. He walked over to the large windows, gazing out to the front yard, plain but well kept, cut off from the road by a row of short, neatly trimmed hedges. He looked up at the clear blue sky, few clouds drifting aimlessly by as the sun rose higher.

He stood there and admired the view for a few moments, before walking back to the sofa, not really sure what to do with himself until Kotetsu emerged from the room again to decide their next course of action. Barnaby finally decided to see how much has changed in thirteen years, scouring the room for the remote to the TV and turned it on. He began flipping through the channels, searching for programs, news casts, things that could give him a hint of what's been happening in the world; he was surprised by an advertisement promoting the new single release from Karina Lyle, not her Hero name Blue Rose. Barely thirty minutes passed before the programs were interrupted by none other than HeroTV, and he couldn't help but smile at some form of familiarity in this future he was stuck in.

He was surprised to find that Rock Bison and Fire Emblem had retired, and found out the reason why Blue Rose was releasing albums under her real name. The singer was no longer a Hero it seemed, her replacement was another ice-type NEXT, but male instead. Kronos Foods' new Hero had a similar theme as far as the power of invulnerability was concerned, except the only difference was this guy could turn his skin into solid stone, giving a literal meaning to his tagged name "the Unmovable Wall". Fire Emblem had stepped down from being a Hero to sponsoring one, the girl representing his company also a fire-type NEXT. She didn't have quite the same flare her predecessor did, but she was certainly impressive in her own right. There was one new Hero that surprised Barnaby – Apollon Media was still in the Hero game, and they had gone back to a solo act; Barnaby had a suspicious theory about "Sandstorm" when he saw him use his powers. That theory was further cemented when he noticed how closely he and Origami Cyclone were working together in this chase.

There was a soft smile though, on handsome features as he watched the broadcast, seeing them successfully apprehend the criminals. It was calming to know that HeroTV wouldn't change much during the years. Barnaby spent another hour or so watching varies programs, still trying to get a feel for the times before he glanced up at the clock, noticing it was past one already. He wandered back into the kitchen to make a light lunch, this time finding some luncheon meats and making a simple sandwich, before realizing he hadn't seen Kotetsu since the man disappeared into the room. He thought about knocking, asking if he could get anything for the man, but decided against it. Kotetsu seemed very reluctant to talk to him, and Barnaby had to wonder what had happened between that could've caused this discomfort between them.

He got bored after the next hour, simply leaving the TV on to whatever channel he thought was remotely interesting, sitting back against the sofa as he planned his next move. The front doorbell rang, startling Barnaby a little as he glanced over to it. It rang again after a few seconds, forest green eyes looking to the door he decided led in to an office space; there were no signs of movement or that Kotetsu might have heard the bell. It rang a third time and Barnaby debated with himself whether he should answer it or not; on the forth ring he decided to take the chance, seeing that Kotetsu was not going to re-emerge anytime soon. He took in a deep breath, hoping it was a familiar face as he pulled the door open, coming face to face with a young woman standing on the pavement.

Her large green eyes stared at him in a shock, the white plastic bag she was carrying falling to the ground as it slipped from her hand. Barnaby only blinked at her, puzzled by her reaction and wondering who she was exactly – until he noticed a purple flower hairpin in her dishwater-blond hair. He blinked even more as he stared at this woman in surprise.

"…Dragon… Kid…?" She made a startled noise, before a glare came to her face, putting a hand against his chest. Barnaby didn't have time to react as he felt a sharp shock rack through his whole body, letting out a staggering scream at the pain before he blacked out.

  
**-Chapter Two/End-**   



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Setting:** After series ends  
>  **Genre:** Hurt/Comfort/Angst  
>  **Rating:** G/PG

### Engraved in Stone

“…you didn’t have to knock him out…”

“I didn’t mean to! He startled me!”

“You really haven’t changed at all…” Barnaby groaned as the conversation drifted over his head, slowly opening his eyes as he was greeted by white ceiling overhead. He sat up carefully, wincing at the ache in his chest as he tried to recall what had just happened.

“Barnaby! I am so, so, so sorry! Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you too badly, did I?” a young voice started questioning. Barnaby looked up at the woman hovering over him, her face full of concern and anxiety; he only blinked at her, still trying to accept the fact that he was staring at a _very_ grown-up Dragon Kid.

“You’re… really Dragon Kid…?” he asked. Pao-lin let out a breath of relief, before reaching her arms around his head, pulling Barnaby into a tight squeeze. He blushed as the woman buried his face into her generous bosom, letting out an uncharacteristic squeak as she refused to relinquish her hold.

“Oh thank god! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

“Oi – you’re going to suffocate him at that rate…” Kotetsu grumbled. Pao-lin made a small noise before releasing the blond in her arms, giving him a sheepish smile as she giggled. Barnaby only cleared his throat, pulling his glasses off to wipe away the smudge before he put them back on. He took a better look at the woman standing in front of him, hands behind her back as she gazed at him with a cheery smile. He blushed again noticing that her outfit didn’t leave much room for the imagination, the tight, long-sleeved shirt she was wearing dipped in a low U-cut showing off very well-rounded breasts. She was wearing tight, short shorts, peach-coloured stockings covering her legs, and fur-trimmed ankle boots on her feet.

“You’ve… grown-up well,” he gulped, turning his eyes away when he realized where his line of vision was stuck at. Pao-lin giggled, striking a pose as she jutted her hips out, placing one arm on her waist the other going behind her head.

“Not too bad, right? It was annoying at first, having such a curvy figure but I like it now,” she claimed.

“That’s only because you realized the kind of power you gained by using your body,” Kotetsu ratted. Pao-lin gave him a sharp, cat-like glare over her shoulder, but the man only scoffed, reaching into his pocket to pull out a carton of cigarettes. Barnaby blinked in surprised at the box.

“Since when – did you smoke?” he asked hesitantly. Kotetsu didn’t answer him, putting a stick to his mouth before pulling out a lighter to light it. Pao-lin only glowered at the cloud of smoke he blew out, before turning away with a huff, giving a cheery smile to Barnaby.

“So – Kotetsu explained everything to me; are you really Barnaby from thirteen years ago?” she asked, leaning over to give him a very open view down her shirt. Barnaby leaned back, looking off to some far corner of the room to avoid staring at her chest.

“I-I suppose that’s right… um, you-you were still quite young when I saw you last…” he answered.

“Waah! No way! That’s kind of cool! I’m sorry about earlier, when I shocked you, but – I thought maybe Kotetsu finally lost it and brought a look-a-like home,” she explained. “So when you called me by my Hero name, I thought you might’ve been someone bad.”

“Don’t put me in the same boat as you… and I _did_ text you and everyone else about this, you know,” Kotetsu glowered, taking long drag from his cigarette. The woman only blinked at him, before straightening up and pulled out a phone – from where, Barnaby didn’t even want to imagine – checking through her messages.

“Ah, you really did send a message…” she exclaimed in surprise. Barnaby only blinked at her; he really didn’t expect this kind of air headedness from the lightening master. Kotetsu sighed as he raked a hand through his bangs in frustration, before turning his back to them.

“Well since you’re here – get him out, take him to go meet the others,” it was more of a command then a suggestion. She only gaped at him, pouting as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Why me? He’s your partner isn’t he? Shouldn’t _you_ be taking him out?”

“My editor is coming over in a few minutes – I don’t want any distractions.”

“Editor?” Barnaby questioned. Pao-lin made an affirmative noise, turning back to him with a wide smile.

“Ah, he didn’t tell you? Kotetsu’s become a really popular writer recently!” she revealed. The dark-auburn haired man hissed at her to be quiet, but she ignored him continuing on. “He’s actually pretty good at it – he’s already gotten two awards this past year for his series!” Barnaby was surprised – amazed actually, that Kotetsu’s work was actually writing, considering how the gift of eloquence usually evaded him in the past. Amber-honey eyes narrowed, the man letting out a growl under his breath before he stormed off to his office, the door slamming shut behind him; Barnaby flinched at the sound, feeling disappointed and hurt at such a cold reaction. Pao-lin stared at the closed door with a troubled look, before she shook her head, reaching out to grab both of the blonde’s hands with hers; Barnaby blinked at the wide smile on her face.

“Forget that old grouch – now, since we’ve got you here, let’s go meet everyone else! I’m sure they’ll all want to see for themselves!” she chirped. He only made a strange noise as he was jerked up to his feet from the sofa, being dragged over towards the bedroom door. “But first – we need to disguise you!”

“Disguise me? Why?”

“Because you stand out too much! It would cause too much of an uproar!” she argued as she gave him a stern look. Barnaby didn’t have a chance to ask anything more about the subject as she dragged him into the room. He simply stood there while the woman raided the closet on the other side of room, pulling out varies articles of clothing as she dug through the storage space. He protested vehemently against the need for a disguise, but he didn’t have much choice in the matter as the kung-fu expert tackled him and got him into the ensemble she picked out. Satisfied with the results, she took the blond by the arm and dragged him out the door.

**-8-**

“…I feel ridiculous in this,” Barnaby grumbled. Pao-lin only pouted at him, still clinging to his arm as she walked them through the streets of Stern Bild. He was a little uncomfortable with this – partly due to the fact that she was pressing her chest against his arm. She didn’t seem to particularly mind it, even oblivious to the fact that sometimes her breasts would rub against him whenever she spoke or moved a certain way.

“Trust me – it’s for your own good!” she retorted. He only sighed, having given up trying to remove his arm from her grasp. Stern Bild had not changed much in the way of layout, but there were definitely some new establishments that Barnaby had never seen before. They continued on walking through the crowds, before Pao-lin finally lead them to an older looking bar, a closed sign hanging on the door. She put a hand against it and heaved it open, Barnaby lingering back a little.

“W-wait – isn’t it closed?”

“It’s closed to _normal_ patrons – it’s open for us,” she winked, pulling him in behind her. The atmosphere was dim, a low mellow sort of music playing in the background. The chairs were still flipped up on the tables, not yet set for business and the lights behind the bar were turned off, the glass cases housing all types of alcohol locked. It had a strange classic sort of feel to it, not quite like the Hero Bar where they’d go to once in a while for some gatherings, but it was oddly homely.

“You’re late, Linny,” a voice spoke out from the dim shadows. Barnaby glanced around for the source, recognizing it in an instant before his eyes even settled on the pink-haired man standing in the center of the room. He was surprised to see Nathan with actual hair for once – not like short shaved he usually had, but an actual mane still quite short with a fuzzy grace to it. It was more surprising to see how – conservative the man’s outfit was, but no less pink. The jacket he was wearing had a simple straight collar instead of a fur boa lining the cut, a hint of a black V-neck shirt underneath it. He remembered Nathan being quite comfortable with his gender, but he’s never seen the man wear an actual skirt before, the hem stopping at knee-length giving way to black stockings leading down into ankle-high heeled boots. Pao-lin finally released Barnaby’s arm, giving a sheepish smile as she scratched the back of her head.

“Sorry, sorry – I stopped by Kotetsu’s place to pick up something,” she excused. Barnaby frowned at being called ‘something’. There was a sigh behind Nathan, mint green eyes looking past the man to see Karina and Keith sitting at a table. Karina looked much more mature, her face having grown into a more oval shape, opposite to the rounded heart-shape she had as a teenager; her hair was swept to the side in a loose ponytail, darker shades of blonde streaking through her locks. Keith hadn’t really changed at all, still showing off his big cheery smile shining behind his dark sapphire blue eyes; his hair was longer, fanning out behind his neck.

“Let me guess – he’s not coming,” the singer sighed.

“Said his editor was coming over or something,” the younger woman shrugged.

“Figures, that guy’s always using work as an excuse,” a rough, deep voice spoke from the corner. Barnaby glanced over to the bar where he found Antonio leaning against the counter; aside from the longer hair, which was tied back, the man looked almost exactly the same – with maybe just a few more age lines. He was wearing a tracksuit similarly to the ones Barnaby remembered from the Hero Academy, and wondered if the other decided to find work there after leaving the Hero business.

“That aside… who is this guy?” a voice he only heard once asked. All eyes turned to the redhead stepping out from the shadows, before looking to the figure they had been completely ignoring up until now. Barnaby fidgeted a little as they stared at him with curious looks.

“Uh… new boyfriend, Pao?” Antonio asked, but there was an odd strain in his voice as he asked that. Karina had stood up from her chair, coming up behind Nathan as she gave him a jarring look.

“He looks way too suspicious...”

“Eh? No way! He doesn’t look _that_ shady, does he?” Pao-lin questioned in surprise. Barnaby sighed, tugging at the coat collar to loosen it, reaching a hand to pull off the hat she had put on his head along with the large round sunglasses on his face.

“I told you it was ridiculous,” he griped, looking up to everyone in the room. “Anyways, I think you’ve all been informed by now, but… I’m Barnaby from thirteen years ago.” There was a deafening silence in the room as everyone just simply stared at him. Barnaby shifted his weight, feeling a little antsy by the lack of reaction from everyone as the quietness dragged on. Nathan was the first one to recover from the shock, a nostalgic smile coming to his face as he moved towards the blond. Barnaby tensed at the hands gently holding his face, blinking up in confusion at the man standing a few centimeters taller than him, thanks to the heels.

“Ah, such a handsome face – you never changed much; well, you had small lines forming under your eyes, but let’s not fuss over minor details~” he teased, giving Barnaby a wink. The blond only raised a puzzled brow at him, Nathan gently patting his cheeks before he removed his hands. Karina came up to him next, still giving him a hard stare that made him cringe a little. She hummed as her light-brown eyes narrowed a little, before she raised a fist and punched him straight in the arm.

“Ow! What was _that_ for?” he scolded, rubbing the spot she had hit. The woman only turned around with a huff, shrugging her shoulders.

“Punishment,” she simply answered. Barnaby only glared at her back, Keith coming up to her putting an arm across her shoulder, an anxious smile on his face.

“Sorry – she’s still a little upset from the argument with her manager earlier,” he apologized, holding up a hand to his face. Barnaby only looked at them, before he sighed brushing the matter off. He sputtered a cough at the hardy smack Keith gave him on the back, doing his trademark habit of repeating his words. For some reason, it made Barnaby smile. Ivan came up to him next, Barnaby noticing that the other had gotten a little taller; unlike the older Heroes, his hair was cut short, spiking up all directions on top of his head. The redhead who had noticed him first stepped up behind the white-blond, and even though Barnaby only saw him once before, he still recognized him.

“Ah, um – not sure if you remember, but um – this is Edward; he’s…”

“I’m sure he already knows the whole story, Ivan,” Edward scolded lightly, gently whacking the shorter man on the head. Ivan flinched at the gesture, putting his hands on his head as he sulked at the other man. Edward only shrugged before stepping around him, holding his hand out to Barnaby. “Odd as this is – it’s nice to meet you, Barnaby Brooks Jr.”

“Trust me, I’m still having a hard time believing this is happening,” he answered back, taking the hand in a friendly shake. They all hung around the closed bar for a little longer, Barnaby trying to answer all sorts of questions being thrown at him, and trying to explain the best he could how he ended up here. There were tons of theories being tossed around, each becoming more ridiculous than the last. He couldn’t help the smile, the laughter as he talked with them; despite that he was probably almost the youngest of the whole group, it felt like nothing had changed at all.

“Anyways – we should move locations, this place is going to start preparing for opening and I doubt they’d like us in the way,” Nathan pointed out. There was a medley of suggestions being thrown together as to where they could go next, until someone mentioned a karaoke bar. The idea was tempting – they could easily get a private room, and no one could really disturb them. With a mutual agreement from almost everyone – Barnaby wasn’t too keen about it – they all shuffled out of the closed bar and headed off to their next location. Pao-lin had put the hat back on Barnaby’s head, but at least this time he didn’t have to wear the sunglasses. They arrived at a very sleek and up-beat establishment that, to Barnaby, looked more like a dance club than a karaoke bar. They were shown to a large room equipped with a wide, flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, the karaoke machine and several microphones sitting on the shelves underneath it.

They ordered some snacks, the girls stealing the remote before any of the guys could confiscate it and started browsing through the endless song list featuring pop music, classics, R&B and even some international artists from different countries outside of Stern Bild. Barnaby kept mostly to the back, watching the younger adults perform and have little competitions against each other. There was no denying that Karina was dominating the scene, and Barnaby was impressed by how much her voice had changed in these past years. Nathan and Antonio weren’t much for singing either, sitting back with him and talking about all the things that happened – or would happen in the next thirteen years.

Barnaby was surprised to hear that Keith and Karina are dating – and had been steadily for almost six years now. He heard about Kaede’s marriage just several days ago and how the young woman was currently on her honeymoon with her husband. The blond was surprised Kotetsu managed to let his daughter go like that, Antonio making a joke that the single father hadn’t; he had great stories about how Kotetsu tortured and pranked his daughter’s at the time boyfriend before Kaede made him behave. Barnaby laughed – that was just like Kotetsu, making life for his daughter difficult at best.

The evening dragged on, everything mostly orderly until alcohol somehow became involved. Barnaby was surprised at how much Ivan had taken to drinking, despite his typical quiet and passive personality. Karina was also taking in some shots, but Keith was making sure to curb her intake so she wasn’t getting quite as drunk as Ivan was. Edward finally stopped him when the small man started singing in Russian with a mix of English – “Russlish” as Edward affectionately called it. He hoisted Ivan up under the arms, apologizing before saying it was best they leave.

“We’ll have a better conversation next time – when this guy _isn’t_ drunk off his ass,” he said pointedly. Ivan only gave him a silly, drunken smile the redhead sighing before he bid goodbye. Keith helped a somewhat tipsy Karina to her feet, saying they should be leaving too, mentioning that the singer had a recording tomorrow. She whined and pouted, complaining about her “ass” of a manager as the wind wizard led her out the door, saying goodnight. That left only Barnaby with Nathan, Antonio and a very tipsy-almost-drunk Pao-lin. She set the glass in her hand down on the table, before scooting over to where Barnaby was sitting, hugging his arm to her chest, making him blush.

“Sooo~” she tittered. “Want to come home with me tonight~?” she asked sweetly, squeezing her arms in such a way that it pushed her breasts up, hugging his arm in a warm embrace. The blush darkened, Barnaby stuttering with his words as he tried to come up with a coherent answer; he first thought she just wasn’t fully aware of her body, but the more time he spent around her, the more he realized that there was some meaning behind what Kotetsu had said earlier. The woman was well aware of the affects her body had when applied in the right way. He was grateful for when Nathan pulled him free of the intimate hold.

“Sorry – but Handsome is coming home with me tonight~” the pink-haired man winked. Barnaby only blink at him, making a small noise. Pao-lin pouted at him, sitting on her knees as she slammed her hands on the cushioned seat.

“But I knew about him first!”

“Actually, you were the last to know about him – since you didn’t check your messages right away,” Antonio pointed out. She pouted even more, glaring at him over her shoulder before looking back to Nathan and Barnaby.

“Ok, but I saw him first!”

“And I’ve already got the permission,” Nathan declared smugly, holding his phone up with his fingers as he waved it in the air. Pao-lin whined before she turned away with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest.

“No fair! I just finished unpacking my new place too! I wanted to show it off!”

“If he went home with you, his chastity would be in danger,” Antonio said with a monotonic expression. Leafy-green eyes narrowed at him in a sharp, deadly glare.

“Are you saying I’m a slut?” she asked icily. Antonio finished what was left of his drink, before setting it down on the table in front with a heavy _thunk_ , turning an empty glare to her.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he spat back. The air in the room suddenly became suffocating, and Barnaby could’ve sworn he saw a spark fly between them. Nathan took him by the elbow and quickly ushered him towards the door.

“And that’s our cue to leave –try not to cause _too much_ damage, you two,” he warned nervously over his shoulder. It was rare to hear the fiery man nervous for anything. Nathan quickly closed the door and wasted no time getting him and Barnaby as far away from the room as possible, the blond casting a worrying glance over his shoulder.

“Um… is it really okay to leave them like that?”

“Oh trust me, honey – you do _not_ want to be around for that make-up fuck,” Nathan answered casually. Mint green eyes only looked at him in shock, before he heard what sounded like a crackling buzz from behind, looking over his shoulder in time to see a flash of electricity stagger under the door. The pulling at his elbow became more insistent, Nathan leading them around the corner and out of sight of the room.

“So are they… um…?” Barnaby started, not really sure he wanted to know the answer.

“It’s complicated,” Nathan sighed. “They have this sort of on-off fuck-buddies thing going… though honestly, I think Antonio’s just waiting for her to settle down before he pursues a more serious relationship.” Barnaby only made a strange noise as he let the other man lead back to the front entrance; he wasn’t used to hearing such vulgar words from his senior – then again, he didn’t really know the man all that well either. Nathan stopped at the reception desk to pay his portion of the bill, strictly warning the workers to not go into the room they just used. He was only given quizzical looks, but he stressed the warning again, before giving them a flirty smile and dragged Barnaby out the door.

“…are they going to be okay?” Barnaby asked, once he had settled into the passenger seat of Nathan’s car. The dark-coloured man only shrugged as he buckled his seatbelt, reaching for the ignition.

“Hard to say, really – though I suppose Antonio’s lucky he has invulnerability on his side,” he answered, starting up the engine. Barnaby let out a forced laugh, before deciding to stare out the window as Nathan pulled out of the parking spot and maneuvered back onto the streets to head back to his place. When asked why Barnaby couldn’t just go back to Kotetsu’s, the other replied that he had gotten a text a while ago; it seems Kotetsu’s editor was going to be staying overnight to hammer out his final manuscript. He excused he didn’t want to cause a disturbance or have any distractions.

“It’s for the best anyways – that woman is such a horrid gossiper, it would just cause trouble for both of you,” Nathan snuffed. Barnaby only hummed in response, staring back out the window as he watched the city go by in a blur; it was oddly calming, watching the familiar lights as they went through Bronze Stage, trying to get to the highway leading up to Silver. Nathan had the radio tuned into some soft R&B, both letting the music fill the silence between since they both lacked the words to start a conversation. After a few songs had played, something was nagging at Barnaby that had been for a while now, not looking away from his view as he spoke.

“There’s… something I want to ask…”

“Ask away Handsome.”

“…It’s been bothering me for a while now, but – thinking about it, it was something I noticed,” he started explaining carefully. “Everyone’s reactions, even Kotetsu’s – I mean, I know it’s odd when someone from the past suddenly shows up in a future time, but – just how everyone reacted to me… and something I noticed you’ve all been avoiding…” There was a small stretch of silence as the car stopped at a red light, Barnaby trying to gather the words together as he glanced over to the older man driving.

“Where – _am_ I?” he asked. Nathan knew what he meant, his face suddenly blank of emotions as rose-coloured eyes stared at the road in front. The light turned green above, but he seemed to ignore it, the car behind him honking its horn impatiently. A sad smile came to dark features, a silent sigh escaping him as he turned his turn signal on.

“Shall we take a little detour?” He turned the wheel and made a full U-turn at the intersection, Barnaby only blinking at him as they drove off in the opposite direction. The ride was painfully silent, despite the radio still playing in the background and it felt like hours before they arrived at their detoured destination. Mint green eyes could only stare up in shock and slight horror at the iron gates closed and locked up for the night; he knew this place all too well – it was the cemetery his parents were buried in.

“…We could go in, if you want…” Nathan suggested, even though it would mean sneaking in. Barnaby shook his head, staring down at his lap.

“No, I – I don’t need to…”

“That’s just like you – you only need this much and you believe it,” Nathan teased sadly. The blond didn’t say anything. The engine revved back to life and Nathan backed out away from the gates, making his way back to the highway leading up to Silver Stage and continued on towards Gold.

“How… how did I die? Was I killed on a mission, or…?” Barnaby asked, his voice trembling as he spoke.

“If it had been something heroic like that, perhaps it wouldn’t have been as bad,” Nathan hesitated before he continued on. “You – died of dementia.”

“Dementia?”

“Well, that’s the “ _official_ ” word, but in truth – the doctors weren’t really sure what happened to you,” he began. “It was not a normal type of any dementia they’ve seen; it was only affecting your motor skills and developed way too quickly. You couldn’t even walk after a year.” Barnaby sat and listened as Nathan retold the whole story; how the news had come as a shock to them, the public’s reaction to the whole ordeal. He talked about how Kotetsu retired shortly after the blond did to take care of him, how he was practically bound to his hospital bed the half year before his death.

“…you died on the eve of October 31st…”

“The day of my birthday…” Barnaby added. Nathan gave a short nod, and the two fell back into heavy silence. The blond sank back against the seat as the information settled in with him. The elder didn’t say anything as the ride continued on in silence, before finally pulling up to a rather nice and expensive looking building. He parked the car in the residential garage available to tenants living in the complex, leading Barnaby past the lavish security desk, waving to the guard on duty. The elevator ride was long and uneventful; the only noise disrupting the quietness was the typical elevator music droning on from the speakers hidden in the corners. They finally reached the top floors, Nathan leading him down the long stretch corridor to his front door, lifting a finger to punch in the security code.

“Oh, I forgot to warn you – but it might be a bit noisy,” Nathan warned. Barnaby only blinked at him, seeing a perfectly manicured finger press against pink-painted lips. “You’ll see.” A swift finger dialed in the code, the light turning green as the door clicked, Nathan pushing it open as he sauntered in, striking a dramatic pose.

“Hi honeys~ I’m home~” he cheered. Barnaby peeked around him to large, open ended space nearly in awe at the sheer size and obvious money that went into this. His eyes jumped to a large arrangement of couches and arm chairs, noticing two young girls sitting on the sofa in front of a plasma flat screen. One girl looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, tanned skinned with a round face and bright, sunny amber eyes. Her hair was a neon blue colour fading into bright pink shades at the tips; her smile revealed a row of braces on her top teeth.

“Welcome back!” she greeted. The little girl with her couldn’t have been older than five years old, her raven black hair tied up in two little pigtails on the sides of her head. She was slightly darker than the teen sitting next to her, dark-rose coloured eyes wide and beaming with a smile.

“Mama! You’re back!”

“M-mama?” Barnaby choked. Nathan only smiled as the little girl jumped off the couch running over to him; he bent down to hold his arms out to the expecting pounce, lifting the child up in his arms as he planted a kiss on her nose.

“Were you a good girl for Mira while I was away?” he asked sweetly. The girl nodded her head vigorously.

“I was! I was a very good girl!” she answered just as excitedly. He only laughed before looking to the teen girl, Mira, as she gathered up her things and stuffed them in a backpack.

“If you don’t need me for anything else, I’ll be heading out then.”

“Ah, thank you for your work; sorry for always troubling you with this,” Nathan smiled.

“It’s fine – I got some schoolwork done, so it’s all good,” Mira answered back, before bidding him goodnight and headed for the door. She passed by Barnaby, giving him a puzzling look before she smiled and bowed her head.

“Oh and don’t forget – you have an interview with Monthly Hero tomorrow at eight,” Nathan called out. The girl stopped at the door, giving him a dumbfounded look.

“EH? I didn’t hear anything about that!”

“I told you this morning dear – you just weren’t paying attention,” he tutted, shaking his head. “So be sure to go to bed early tonight, alright? Remember – it’s eight sharp!” The girl suddenly blushed, before she turned on her heels to march out the door.

“Argh! Stop acting like you’re my mother!” She slammed the door behind her in a huff, Nathan sighing as he mumbled something about troublesome teenagers. Barnaby stared between the door and the man with an owl look, still trying to make sense of what had just happened here, and wondering who that teen girl was.

“Wait… she’s not… don’t tell me that was…” he started, unsure if he was right in his assumption.

“That’s right – Mira is my protégée, the “burning Phoenix”; she’s really such a sweet girl – sometimes,” Nathan added that last part as an afterthought. Barnaby only hummed in response, before the little girl in the older man’s arms brought him back to a pressing question at hand.

“Mama – who’s that?” she asked, pointing a finger at the blond. Nathan smiled as he adjusted his arms so they were facing each other eye to eye.

“This is Barnaby – he’s a friend of mama’s,” he then turned to Barnaby with a soft smile – a smile he often recognized on Kotetsu’s face whenever the other talked about his daughter. “And this, Handsome, is Cherice – my daughter.”

“D-daughter?!” the blond sputtered. Oh how Nathan would give anything to have a camera right now to capture the man’s face. His forest green eyes were wide enough that they looked like they would fall out any minute, his jaw practically dropping to the floor in shock. He only laughed, Cherice tossing a confused expression between the two men. Nathan spent the next ten minutes fussing with the girl, getting her to brush her teeth and wash her face, before getting her into her pjs and under the covers. Another ten minutes later she was tucked in and drifting soundly off to dreamland, Nathan brushing her hair away from her face before he walked back out to the living room, where Barnaby was sitting. He offered some champagne to the blond, seeing the other nod his head. Barnaby was hoping the alcohol would help him get over his shock to the fact that Nathan – of all people – had a daughter.

He was handed a crystal wine glass filled with bubbling white champagne, thanking Nathan as the man took a seat in the plush armchair to his right, taking a steady sip from his own glass. They simply reveled in the quiet atmosphere, Barnaby still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the ex-Hero had a five-year-old daughter; the champagne was helping a little.

“Surprised?” the gentle voice startled him from his thoughts, giving the pink-adorned man an owl look. It took him a few minutes to realize what the question was for, hastily nodding his head as he stared into the white-yellow liquid in his glass.

“A-aa… a bit; I didn’t think you were one for kids,” Barnaby answered. There was a soft smile as a hand swirled the contents of the glass it was holding.

“It’s amazing how one’s perspective can change once you have a child of your own.”

“So have you…um…”

“Have I slept with a woman? No, I haven’t.”

“Then is she – adopted?”

“No, she’s my blood daughter,” Nathan answered. Barnaby gave him a look mixed between bewilderment and being perplexed, trying to come up with a reasonable solution as to how this came to be. It made the older man laugh for some reason, giving the blond an odd smile. “It’s – a rather interesting story; word of advice though – never humor a NEXT who isn’t fully aware of their own powers.”

“So it happened because of a NEXT?”

“More or less – he was pretty much the last boyfriend before she was “ _born_ ”, for lack of a better term,” his expression soured for a moment, before knocking back the remaining liquid in his glass. “Anyways, he had the ability to combine two objects together – made some rather strange things as a result of that.  He combined a toaster with a radio once, which was sort of interesting; it functioned too. The only problem was the dial to adjust the heat setting was also the channel seeker, so you were essential stuck listening to the same two or three stations every time you made toast.” There was a rather long pause as Nathan set his glass down on a side table next to him, Barnaby making a small noise in acknowledgement as he slowly sipped away at his own glass. The other continued after taking in a few deep breathes.

“Well, we were joking about his powers and entertained the idea if he could create a new species by combining two different _living_ things. Now understand, this was all in jest, of course – but we decided to humor the idea and we both put a drop of our blood onto a flower seed, and well…” rose-coloured eyes glanced behind Barnaby, mint green eyes following the direction to the door that lead to Cherice’s bedroom. The blond was sure he was gapping at the story, giving the man a dubious look.

“That…that’s almost too ridiculous to be true…”

“Trust me, even I still feel like it was impossible, but Cherice is quite literally a “flower-child”; you can imagine the kind of shock that it even _worked_ ,” Nathan shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I know there are some pretty incredible powers out there, but that’s just…unbelievable,” Barnaby remarked.

“Unbelievable, maybe – unbelievably stupid? Definitely. But… that bastard wasn’t the long-term commitment type and ran off the second my back was turned, without even explaining anything or saying so much as a goodbye,” there was a dark look on Nathan’s face. Finely shaped brows furrowed in silent rage, holding up a closed fist as he recalled that day; Barnaby nearly jumped as his hand ignited with a small burst of flame at the strong emotion.

“T-that’s really awful! I can’t believe such a horrible thing happened to you!” he blurted out nervously, trying to find some way to appease the flame-wielder before he set something on fire. Nathan relaxed, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner, partly to show he was over it and partly to put out the flame.

“It’s better off this way – he was turning out to be an arrogant ass anyways,” he reached for his empty glass, suddenly disappointed that he had finished his champagne already. “So, I was left with little Cherice and honestly, it was the first time I felt terrified of anything.”

“Is – is she the reason why you retired from being a Hero?” Barnaby asked carefully. He assumed it was a safe question, judging by the soft smile that appeared on dark features.

“Part of it; it was difficult finding a good schedule around her, but I’m grateful Kotetsu was around to help me,” he put his chin in his hand, a dreamy sigh escaping him. “He was such a sweetheart the whole time~ it’s so hard to find good, reliable men like him – I think I might’ve fallen a little in love. It was tempting to steal him away from you~” the pink-haired man teased lightly. Barnaby found himself snickering for some reason, answering back at the tease.

“I’m not sure I’d be too happy if you stole my partner away.”

“Oh believe me, honey – you were quite jealous at all the time he spent with me and my daughter.”

“Je –! Wait, why would I be jealous?” Barnaby blinked, bringing the rim of his glass to his mouth.

“Well, it was only normal – you _were_ his husband after all,” Nathan answered bluntly. Barnaby spat back into his drink, coughing as some of the champagne went down the wrong way at this sudden revelation. Rose-tinted eyes only gazed curiously at him for the reaction, while the blond tried to settle his coughing fit.

“Oh my – has that not happened yet? Ah, wait – 1980…I guess you two won’t get to confessing for another two or three years,” Nathan pondered out loud, not really paying much attention to the shocked and bewildered expression of disbelief on Barnaby’s face, a faint colour of pink gracing his cheeks.

“Wait – what now?!”

“Really – you two were so slow about it too; it was amazing you both even figured it out at all.”

“Hold on – I…Kotetsu and I are _married_?!”

“Well, it was unofficial of course, but it didn’t stop you two from referring to each other as husbands behind closed doors,” Nathan explained, twirling his empty glass as he debated whether or not he felt like getting more. Barnaby was surprised he hadn’t spilled any of his own drink yet, seeing how loose his posture was at the news of this.

“But we’re not…it’s not like that between us… I mean we’re… but that’s…” he started rambling, unsure what he was trying to say. Nathan had to laugh at the flustered blond, standing up as he decided to refill his glass.

“That was the problem with you two – when it comes to something like love, you were both obtuse as a brick wall,” he told over his shoulder, securing the open bottle. “You especially so, since it was Kotetsu who made the first move.” The blush darkened, Barnaby busying himself with his glass as Nathan sauntered back over to his seat, a full glass of champagne. There was a welcome peace between them, Barnaby glad that the other wasn’t pressing the matter and teasing him about it; he made a small noise of realization as the shock wore off, once the information fully settled in with him.

“That’s why he reacted…” he spoke softly. He heard a sigh, risking a glance up to a distance and almost disheartening expression he’s never seen before on Nathan’s face.

“You can imagine how devastating your death was to Kotetsu…” the tone was heavy, the high octave flirt gone from his voice. “He – started to believe he was cursed, that he will lose everyone he loves to illness. If you thought he was seclusive before, he’s even worse now. He doesn’t reach out to _any_ one – even Kaede has a hard time breaking through his shell from time to time.” Barnaby only stared at him, before gazing into his glass with a troubled look. The silence stretched on between them for what felt like hours, before Nathan finished the last few drops of his drink, standing up to his feet as he tried to give the blond a light smile.

“It’s late, and I do have a business to run,” he offered his hand out for the glass, Barnaby quickly finishing what was left before handing it to him. There was some light clinks as the glasses were rinsed, the bottle re-sealed and stored away, before Nathan set about to make his guest comfortable. “You’re always welcome to share the bed with me, Handsome~” he teased with a wink. Barnaby only gave him a nervous smile, holding a hand up.

“I’m fine with the couch, thanks…”

“Aw, you’re no fun~” the pink-haired man pouted, but wandered off to go retrieve some blankets and extra pillows. The blond thanked him as he arranged them to his liking, Nathan giving him one last smile before he bid goodnight, blowing a playful kiss over his shoulder. Barnaby tried not to grimace, returning the smile as he said goodnight. The door clicked shut and Barnaby was left alone to the huge open area, the lack of noise was making him feel a little edgy. He walked over to the large, high-rising windows to look over the view of the city; it wasn’t much different from the view of his own apartment, but it helped to calm him down. Seeing such a familiar sight he had come to appreciate after all the time he had spent with Kotetsu, it was all too tempting to forget he was in a different time.

Feeling a nagging presence of drowsiness creep up on him, Barnaby moved away from the window, scouting around for the controls to the lights, successfully finding them as he turned them off, plunging the room into darkness. There was a luminescence glow from the city lights glaring from below, giving him a faint guide as he wondered back to the sofa, curling himself under the blankets as he tried to get comfortable. He pulled off his glasses, putting them on the coffee table an arm’s reach away, laying on his side as he waited for the lull of sleep to come.

**-Chapter Three/End-**


	4. Chapter 4

When he woke up that morning, he had a slight kink in his neck from sleeping oddly, the blanket still pulled up around his shoulders as he blinked his eyes open. It was still dark out, but there was a white gleam of blue slowly shimmering through the raven black sky as the sun rose steadily above the intruding buildings. Barnaby groaned, really not wanting to get up, tugging at the blanket tighter as he curled tighter against the cushions; he deemed it too early in the morning and some subconscious voice was nagging him about his partner's bad influence over him. He never really did enjoy sleeping in until the other shoved his way into his life. There was a gentle poke at his nose and mint green eyes slowly opened to glare at the source, growling softly at being disturbed.

"Now Cherice – leave him be," a voice whispered firmly from behind. Barnaby nearly fell off the couch as he jerked himself awake, straightening up to a sitting position as he glanced down at the fuzzy image of the young girl standing by the couch. He blinked a few times before remembering where – and _when_ – he was, reaching a hand to rub the remaining sleep from his eyes.

"Ah, morning Handsome~ sorry – did she wake you up?" Nathan asked, giving his daughter a nagging look. The little girl only looked to the floor, hands going behind her back. Barnaby shook his head as he felt around the coffee table for his glasses.

"No, I was already awake," he partly lied. Nathan didn't say anything in regards to it, before ushering the girl to go get dressed, the girl nodding and bounding off to her room. Barnaby glanced over the back of the couch as she disappeared before his eyes glanced at his host, blinking in surprise. Nathan was already dressed and ready to tackle business for the day; he had already gotten used to see the other in a skirt, but it was the pink apron with frills that struck the blond as odd. It was hard imagining the ex-Hero with such a domestic appearance. Nathan noticed him staring, a teasing grin coming to his face as he posed and asked what the other thought; Barnaby stumbled with an answer, Nathan only laughing saying he was joking. Cherice came bouncing out of her room shortly after, all dressed and her hair messily tied up in uneven pigtails. The pink-haired man only sighed before beckoning her over and fixed up her hair before urging everyone to the table for breakfast.

The door of the dishwasher had just shut closed, the machine humming softly just as the front doorbell rang, Cherice running to answer it, opening it to the young teen girl standing outside. Barnaby recognized her as Mira, the girl dressed in a school uniform a backpack slung over her shoulder. Nathan folded the apron away, smoothing out the wrinkles in his skirt before walking over to the door, checking over his daughter's appearance once more.

"Don't forget – you have your interview at eight," he reminded the young Hero. The girl sulked at him, a blush coming to her face as she took Cherice by the hand.

"I got it, I got it… geeze – you're always such a nag in the morning!" she snapped back. Nathan only frowned at her, chiding the behavior, the blue-pink haired girl brushing him off before stalking off down the hall to the elevator. Nathan sighed, shaking his head as he muttered about teenagers. Pink-rose eyes glanced back to a small snicker, seeing Barnaby clearing his throat in attempts to cover up the slip; a smile broke out on pink-painted lips.

"Are you sure you don't have two daughters?" Barnaby teased, crossing his arms over his chest. Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders as he crossed the room to finish straightening things out.

"Hard to say sometimes – I suppose I'm the closest thing to a mother Mira has, after all," he commented off-handedly. Forest green eyes blinked at him with a quizzical expression, a strange, almost sad sort of smile appearing on angled features.

"Long story short, Mira's parents were killed in a hostage situation when she was little; she lives with her grandmother at the moment, but she's very weak so Mira's been the one taking care of her," Nathan explained briefly.

"Is that her reason for becoming a Hero?"

"She didn't want another child to suffer through what she did; she was considering becoming a police officer before her powers manifested," Nathan answered. There was a moment of heavy silence in the air before the pink-coloured businessman sauntered over to where the blond was standing and draped an arm around his shoulder. Barnaby made a small noise, his whole body tensing as Nathan pulled him close.

"Let's not talk about all that~ right now – what are we going to do with you, Handsome~?"

"Huh?" the blond blinked.

"Well now, I can't just leave you alone in my home – it's just rude on my part," Nathan waved his hand in an exaggerated manner. He released his hold on the shoulder, to which Barnaby heaved a sigh of relief; there was a suggestion that Barnaby could follow him to work, since there was no telling if Kotetsu was still busy with his editor or not. Before any more ideas could be tossed around, the doorbell rang again, both blinking in surprise and confusion at who it could be this time. Nathan answered it, pleasantly surprised to see Pao-lin, Ivan and Edward at his door.

"Mornin' – team B ready for pick up!" Pao-lin cheered. Edward only sighed pinching the bridge of his nose, while Ivan only shrugged. Nathan brushed it aside, turning to Barnaby with a bright smile.

"Well then, problem solved~ go have fun with people around your age, Handsome~" Nathan ushered. Barnaby didn't have a chance to say anything before he got dragged to the door, Pao-lin immediately linking arms with him as she pressed her chest against him. Barnaby's cheeks flared with colour, trying to pull out of her grip as she began dragging him down the corridor towards the elevator, Ivan following stumbling behind. Edward shook his head, lingering by the door for a moment, hands reaching into his pant pockets.

"Let me guess – Kotetsu asked you to look after him for the day?" Nathan asked, a serious expression on his face. The redhead shrugged.

"Said his editor was still over – bullshit, if you ask me," the young man scoffed. Nathan only hummed in agreement. Pao-lin's voice called down from the hall, telling Edward to hurry up; violet eyes side glanced to the pink-adorned man, seeing him nod his head before the redhead ran to catch up with them. Dark rose eyes watched as the four adults disappeared behind the elevator doors before retreating back into the apartment. He quickly retrieved his phone, taking one glance around to make sure everything that needed to be off was off, before grabbing a set of keys and headed out the door. Nathan flipped open his phone and began typing away a text.

To: _Kaburagi, Kotetsu_

_We need to talk – no bullshitting your way out of this_

He pressed the send button and watched it be transferred off before closing his phone and pocketing it away. He knew the man wasn't going to reply back, so there was no point in waiting for an answer that wouldn't be coming; fortunately Nathan still had the spare key Kotetsu had given him four years ago, so even if the other tried to feign being out, he could let himself in. He knew of all the people, having Barnaby healthy and very well alive walking around would affect Kotetsu the most, but it was not an excuse for his current behavior. He climbed into his car, started up the engine and headed off to work; he had some board meetings and few representative events he needed to be at, so he probably wouldn't get to Kotetsu's place till around late afternoon. That would hopefully give the man enough time to prepare for the hell of a lecture Nathan was planning for him.

  
**-8-**   


It was amazing how much something small like a hat could change so much about person; it also helped with the fact that Barnaby was never much of a hat person to begin with, helping with disguising him so easily. Most people didn't pay much attention to him as he got dragged around by Pao-lin, Ivan and Edward. It was strange knowing they were in his age range now, Pao-lin especially with the way she was flirting very openly with him. They had spent a good deal of the morning sitting in a coffee shop since most stores were not open yet, Barnaby talking mostly to Pao-lin and Ivan since they were more familiar. Edward occasionally made light conversation, but remained to himself. Ivan noted the redhead was being "unusually" shy; he only shrugged and excused that the last time he met the great Barnaby Brooks Jr. he was trying to kill Ivan and was an escaped convict at the time.

When it started getting close to lunch hour, it was mutually decided to stop off at a restaurant to get something to eat. The four of them settling into a booth off in a far corner of the room; Pao-lin slid in first, dragging Barnaby by the arm to sit him next to her, while Ivan and Edward sat across from them. They looked through the menu, decided what they wanted and then flagged down a waitress to take their orders, the woman walking off to relay their choices before tending to other patrons.

"So, what do you think so far?" Pao-lin asked, playing with the straw of her drink. Barnaby glanced down at the dark coloured tea in his cup.

"It's – strange, I can't really describe it. It still feels like the same city, but there's so much that's changed that it feels foreign… does that even make sense?"

"Stern Bild has changed quite a bit – and very quickly," Ivan answered.

"Well, we'll make sure your stay here is comfortable," the young woman piped. "Who knows how long you'll be here for or when you'll go back."

"I don't even know how I got here in the first place, so going back is going to be a while," Barnaby sighed, taking a sip from his cup. The conversations went on from there as they waited for their meals; they talked about the three new Heroes – Phoenix, Frost and Archelon. Barnaby had met Phoenix briefly and from he understood was the youngest addition of the whole group. Despite that, she was pretty easy to talk to and apparently getting her to stop was the trick. He smiled at the thought – no wonder she and Nathan got along so well. Frost was not much older than her, but he was very much like his powers – cold and a little distance, making him seem unapproachable; however it seemed the Phoenix was able to get a response from him once in a while when they talked. Archelon was described as being Rock Bison version two, only less bumbling and "thick-headed" as Pao-lin put it when it came to missions. He wasn't much of a drinker due to health problems, but he still enjoyed hanging out with them at the bar, usually ending up as designated driver for the night.

Pao-lin sighed, muttering about all her failed attempts to invite the man into her apartment after hanging out after work hours. He was either really chivalrous or just not interested in women at all. Barnaby shifted uncomfortable at where the conversation was going, quietly sipping on his tea as the blonde woman began teasing the two men sitting across from her, bringing up a more – memorable encounter between the three of them. Barnaby almost spat his tea back out, trying not to choke as the conversation took an even more awkward turn. Pao-lin shifted herself forward, folding her arms to push up her breasts as she leaned over the table top.

"Why don't you just admit it – you miss fondling these, don't you…Eddie~"

"Don't call me that… and I do _not_ want to repeat that experience _ever_ again!" the redhead hissed, a furious blush spreading across his nose. Ivan's whole face went red as he sank lower into his seat and Barnaby sympathized full heartedly why the other would want to disappear; he was really wishing he had followed Nathan to work now.

"Oh come on – it wasn't _that_ bad now," she whined.

"Right – aside from the fact you almost fried my dick and–"

"What? I can't help my powers sometimes! Besides, you were both pretty damn drunk at the time to really care about that."

"Not like _you_ were any better!"

"Just admit it – you're a masochist at heart."

"Then you're a fuckin' sadist…"

"A- **hem**!" Barnaby cleared his throat rather loudly, getting the three to look at him. He reached a hand to pull the hat down a little further over his face, covering the slight flush on his cheeks. "You – do realise _where_ we are, right?" he noted. They all blinked before looking up to see the waitress who had taken their orders earlier standing by the table, hands full with plates, a nervous smile on her face and a deep blush across her cheeks. Pao-lin straightened herself up, leaning back in her seat, Edward cleared his throat as he avoided looking at her; Ivan sunk even lower in his seat and Barnaby was sure the poor guy wanted the earth to open up and swallow him. The woman set their dishes down rather stiffly, not even giving them a response before she quickly scurried off to tend to other patrons.

"…be sure to leave a generous tip for her," Barnaby suggested, before picking up his utensils to start on his meal.

"H-h-how long had she been standing there?" Ivan asked, not really wanting to know the answer. Barnaby didn't answer for the longest while before giving a vague estimate; they all groaned when they realised that the poor woman had been standing there since Edward's "do not want" response. The rest of the time was spent in awkward silence before the bill was paid, a very generous tip left for the waitress who served them, before they filed out of the booth and left.

Barnaby fidgeted with the hat on his head as they left – his hair was going to need a good brushing after this was over. He wondered how Kotetsu had managed to prevent getting "hat hair" since he was always wearing that damn cap of his. Kotetsu… the blonde's thoughts traveled back to the man he had only gotten to know for at best ten or twenty minutes before the other kept himself distance. A sigh passed through his lips before he could stop it; he supposed it would be a bad idea to stay with the older man considering…

"Sorry about what happened in there… she's not exactly " _secretive_ " about her sex life…" Edward's voice snapped him from his thoughts, blinking at the redhead striding next to him. Forest green eyes looked up ahead to see Pao-lin and Ivan had walked ahead, seeing the woman poking fun at the white blond as they went on their way. Barnaby only shrugged, glancing off to the side.

"It's – just unexpected, I guess… I mean, last I saw her, she was still a tomboy and clammed up just trying to talk about her crushes."

"…I find that very hard to believe…" Edward sighed.

"When did you, well…" he left the question open; he wasn't sure how comfortable the man was about this subject.

"When did I get out of prison? About a year ago, give or take," the redhead shrugged casually. It was an old story to him now and something he left behind him, so it didn't really bother Edward to talk about it. "So I never really got to meet you, since you died before I was released." There was an odd pause between, both lagging behind a little as Ivan and Pao-lin continued on oblivious. Barnaby was still trying to come to terms with the fact he was dead in this present future; what made it all the worst was he knew nothing could be done about it and it was depressing him to know that he'd only have eleven more years left of his life once he returned to the past.

"I… kinda owe a lot to that old man –er, Kotetsu, I mean…" Edward spoke up. Mint green eyes blinked at him, dark violet avoiding the stare, hands shoved into his pockets. "He – he convinced Apollon Media to take me on as their new Hero despite… everything else."

Barnaby only smiled, looking ahead to gaze up at the partial cloudy sky over head, "That's just how he is – if he sees any good in people, he wants to help them any way he can. It made him quite annoying, actually."

"I can see that," Edward chuckled in response. The silence between them was welcomed, warm – listening to the embarrassed reactions Ivan sprouted out at Pao-lin's teasings. Barnaby was surprised by the light tap against his shoulder, eyes turning to the serious expression on the redhead's face. "Look, he'll warm up to you so don't read too much into his behavior." It took a moment or two before the blond realised he was referring to Kotetsu, only humming in response as his thoughts traveled back to the man. He was almost anxious of warming up to the other, knowing that he'd have to return back to his own time eventually. He didn't want to intrude on Kotetsu's life, not after being gone for two years and while the other obviously still harbored a very broken heart; he didn't want to make Kotetsu feel worse once he left, making the man realise all over again what he had lost. A short, loud beep distracted him, Edward reaching into his pocket to pull out a phone.

"Huh, speak of the devil and he calls…"

"Eh? It's Kotetsu?"

"Not quite, but it seems like it's safe for you to go back to his place," Edward answered, reading through the text from Nathan. Barnaby only flinched as he forced a half smile; Edward called out to the two adults walking ahead of them, saying it was time to return home. Pao-lin whined, wanting to spend more time with the other blond, but between the agreements of three men versus hers there was no debate in the matter.

  
**-Chapter Four/End-**   



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A name engraved in stone can not be changed, but perhaps fate prefers to believe otherwise. If you were to glimpse of a future where you could see your fate, and know exactly how it would affect the people closest to you, would you alter it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: After series ends  
> Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Angst  
> Rating: G/PG

Aside from the smoke wafting idly from the end of the cigarette perched loosely between his fingers, he was as still as a stone, ignoring the dark-rose eyes glaring at him with a scrutinizing frown. There was a distance sound echoing somewhere in the house in the background, the occasional car or two driving by, or the birds chirping outside the window to disrupt their silence. Nathan let out a heavy sigh, crossing his arms over his chest at the other's behavior.

"Now you're just being ridiculous," he griped. Kotetsu didn't say anything, finally making a movement when he brought the cigarette to his lips, taking a long drawl breath from it. Nathan only shook his head, giving the dark-haired man a sympathetic look. "I know this is the hardest for you. I'm not asking you to be all buddy-buddy with him – I'm asking you to be hospitable."

"A guy I've loved for more than twelve years – who is dead – suddenly shows up at my door and you expect me to be 'hospitable'?" he snapped, not aware of his hand crushing the cigarette in the process. It was not the exact reaction Nathan was expecting, but it was better than the non-responsive stance the man had taken with him this entire past hour they just spent together. Noticing that the cigarette got crumpled during his outburst, Kotetsu growled softly, reaching over to snuff it out in the ashtray, pulling out another from the box sitting on the table. He ignored the nagging eyes glaring at him.

"There's a difference between hospitality and friendliness," Nathan stated calmly. "Look, try seeing this from Handsome's view – he's stuck in a future with no idea how he got here, or how he's even going back. He's been handling the news of his own death rather smoothly, but this is a lot to take in."

"And your point?" Kotetsu asked in an irritated tone. A cloud of smoke dissipated into the air, Nathan reaching a hand to gently massage his forehead at the headache coming along; he really hated dealing with the man when he was like this.

"My point – this Barnaby is not on the same terms with the rest of us like the Barnaby we knew. Yes, he can get along with us, but right now the person he trusts and relies on the most is you!" he answered sharply, eyes narrowing slightly at the man sitting adjacent to him. "He's not going to open up to us as easily as he does to you – not for another six years at least. If he gets into a runt the first person he's going to run to is you; if he can't even come to you for support, how do you think he'll last through all this?"

There was a heavy silence between them as the words settled in, honey-brown eyes refusing to match pink-rose ones giving him an expectant look. Kotetsu let out a silent sigh, cigarette poised between his lips as he slumped back against the couch. Nathan looked away with his own sigh, before slowly getting up to his feet, brushing out the wrinkles of his skirt. "Fine, fine – I'll see if I can convince him to stay with me for a while; he seems to be alright with me. Cherice seems to have taken a liking to him too."

"No, it's fine…I don't want to make your life more difficult," Kotetsu hastily objected.

"You always make my life difficult every time it involves you," Nathan answered with a small teasing smile. There was a subtle twitch that didn't go unnoticed, falling back into a strange and comfortable understanding silence. Kotetsu jumped slightly at the unexpected hand threading through his hair, glancing up at the pink-haired man with a questioning look; the other didn't say anything, only smiled and continued to gently rub his scalp.

"Just to let you know – he knows about your relationship," Nathan explained. His jaw dropped, the cigarette nearly tumbling from his mouth before he hastily closed it to secure the burning stick. He yanked it away from his lips to give a proper glare at the man standing over him, smacking away the hand at his head.

"You told him!" Kotetsu asked in disbelief.

"It sort of slipped – I was telling him about Cherice and how you helped me with her," Nathan shrugged casually. "I joked about stealing you away from him, he joked back and I just kind of mentioned you two were married." He tried not to smile at the memory of the blond spitting out his champagne last night at hearing that news; it was rare to see Barnaby shocked and flustered like that. Kotetsu groaned, burying his face in his palm as he slouched forward.

"Great…as if this needs to be anymore awkward…"

"This may work out better for you – now that he knows what went on between you two, he'll most likely keep to himself," Nathan pointed out. "If – that's what you really want."

"What's that supposed to mean?" before either could say anything, the front doorbell rang. Nathan sauntered off to go answer, finding the younger adults along with Barnaby at the front steps. He flashed them all a cheery smile, stepping aside to let them in.

"Did you enjoy your day, Handsome~?" he asked.

"It was – memorable," Barnaby answered with a nod, side glancing to woman standing next to him. A blush appeared across Ivan's and Edward's faces, both men looking off to the side, Pao-lin only shrugging as she smiled. It didn't take a genius to guess what that "memorable" moment was, especially if the young woman was involved. Nathan brushed it aside for now, glancing over his shoulder to where Kotetsu was sitting, not looking up at them.

"Anyways, everything's all clear here – you're welcome to stay with Kotetsu until we figure out how to send you back, Handsome."

"Is it really all right? I don't – I don't want to trouble him," Barnaby asked tentatively.

"Oh don't worry so much about it, dear," Nathan waved. "Of course, if it really bothers you, you can always come back home with me~" he winked. The blond only gave an uneasy smile at the response; before any more could be said on the subject a familiar beeping cut through the air, the three Heroes answering their call bands.

"Bonjour Heroes~" Agnes' familiar flirty voice rang through. "We've got a robbery at West Silver Bank – suit up and head there immediately!" There was slight tug of a smile on Barnaby's face that some things really haven't changed at all. The three quickly bid their goodbyes, with some promises to talk more later before heading to the car parked on the curb.

"I should be going too," Nathan said.

"Eh? But – you're not a Hero?" Barnaby blinked.

"I'm not, but I do monitor and guide Phoenix when she's on call – she is representing my company after all," Nathan answered. "We'll hang out some other time, Handsome~" He waved over his shoulder as he headed to the car parked in the driveway, jokingly blowing a kiss at the young blond before he climbed in. Barnaby tried not to shudder as he waved back to the other man. He stood by the open door, watching the sleek red car take off, fading into the distance as it headed back towards the inner part of the city. He stayed outside a few lingering minutes before stepping into the house, standing against the closed door as forest green eyes stared at the wooden floor. Kotetsu didn't say anything either, back turned to the young man, sitting on the couch with the cigarette forgotten in his hand. After a few awkward pauses, he stood up, making a vague gesture towards the TV.

"You, um – you can watch them, if you want," he spoke hastily. "HeroTV that is…"

"If that's all right with you?" the blond asked tentatively. The other only shrugged, before putting out his cigarette and headed towards the bedroom door. Barnaby looked up to blink at him, slowly moving away from the front door.

"What are you going to do?"

"I – I need to wash up; just – make yourself comfortable," Kotetsu replied back coldly. Barnaby didn't say anything, glancing to the side with a troubled look that made the dark-haired man flinch, quickly pacing towards the bedroom. He crossed the room to the closet on the other side, pulling a fresh change of clothes, before turning to the adjacent door to his right. He flipped the switch on for the dark bathroom, setting his clothes down on the counter before walking over to the shower to turn it on and let the water warm up a bit. He pulled the plain cotton shirt up over his head, tossing it into the open hamper in the corner, going over to check the water's temperature. He paused, amber-brown eyes catching his reflection in the mirror over the sink.

Slender fingers brushed the side of his face, inspecting the barely visible crinkles at the corner of his eyes, brushing the loose strands of hair aside only to have them fall back into place. He grabbed a few pieces with his fingers, pulling it out away from his face as he inspected the silver and dark auburn color. There were always constant remarks of how he looked younger than his age, despite the silver streaks running through his hair. Kotetsu sighed, moving away from the mirror, noticing there was a thin steam wafting from the shower stall. He stripped down the rest of his clothing, tossing them all into the hamper before stepping through the glass pane door of the stall, flinching at the scathing hot water. A simple adjustment of the knobs made it more tolerable, feeling his body relax under the fierce spray of warmth against his skin.

His thoughts traveled back to the young man currently sitting in his living room; another sigh escaped him. How was he supposed to deal with the blond after having spent two years without him? And even more so from a time before feelings had been realised; he ran a hand through his hair, the water plastering it down in place as he stared up at the tiled wall. This was going to be awkward for both of them, now that Barnaby knew what had happened between them in the future – though perhaps Nathan had a point. Barnaby was the type of guy who'd keep to himself to save the unnecessary small talks in between, which would've just make the whole situation even more awkward.

Just play the good host and don't interact more than necessary. He told himself mentally, reaching a hand for the soaps to start washing. He had been so used to putting on smiles, playing the good writer giving a thank you speech for whatever praise, celebration he got for a new book, or past release – this wasn't going to be any different. He only hoped that they'd find a way to send this Barnaby back to his own time before he got too comfortable with the blond again. He didn't want to suffer through another heartbreak.

In the living room, Barnaby lingered by the door for a few minutes even after Kotetsu had disappeared before moving towards the couch, securing the remote to turn the TV on to watch the broadcast. The chase had already begun, Sky High and Phoenix already in hot pursuit of the speeding armed truck. He smiled as he watched Phoenix melt away the tires with a flame arrow, Archelon dropping in out of nowhere to shield her from the onslaught of bullets coming at her, Frost freezing up the crooks trying to run away, and the one or two that escaped being electrocuted and knocked out by Dragon Lady.

Barnaby had to do a double take on the woman's new outfit – what little there was of it anyways. Tight white, hot pants with silver knee-high, high heeled boots adorned with numerous amounts of straps, buckles and the like and a top that could've past for a bikini rather than an actual functional top, just barely containing the bounce of her breasts. Though he suppose if she was comfortable enough with herself to show off her body off-screen, she wasn't too opposed to her outfit change. Barnaby only sighed as they rounded up the criminals and the points were distributed as necessary, before the program ended, pondering what to do now.

"Who made the catch?" Barnaby nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice from behind, glancing over his shoulder to see Kotetsu standing behind the couch. The man was dressed in loose pants and a plain cotton shirt, a towel around his neck to dry damp dark-auburn hair.

"Um, I think it was split between Frost and Dragon Kid-Lady," Barnaby answered hastily, quickly looking away. The other only hummed, before falling back into an unnerving silence. After a long stretch of time, Kotetsu headed towards the door leading to his office, making a vague gesture.

"I'll just – be in my office," he said. "I'll make dinner later, so um, make yourself comfortable. Use anything you want."

"A-ah, thank you very much," Barnaby thanked in return. Forest green eyes watched the retreating back head towards the door across from them, biting down on his lower lip before he spoke up again. "I – sorry for troubling you like this, I mean I know…" He stopped, not really sure what to say that could ease this tension between them; it seemed like there was nothing they could be simply avoid each other as much as possible. Kotetsu didn't look at him, waving his hand in a non-descript manner before disappearing through the door. Barnaby sighed as he slumped in the seat of the sofa, resting his head against the back as the TV noises drifted over his head. He hoped he could figure this out soon – the sooner he was able to return back to his own time, the easier it would be for both of them once Barnaby was gone.

He felt a heavy weight on his heart, almost dreading to go back; he was going to die in eleven years and he couldn't do anything to stop. He felt his stomach twist at the thought, not just because it was depressing in itself, but of how much it affected his partner and how the man's has changed from the person the blond knew. His bright green eyes glanced towards the closed door, wondering just how and when did their relationship start; Nathan said Kotetsu was the one who made the first move – what made the man realise he was in love with him in the first place. He didn't think they had those kinds of feelings for each other – Barnaby certainly didn't feel that towards the old veteran from his time… did he?

Long pale fingers tangled in honey-blond locks, letting out a silent sigh of frustration – he could worry about his short life later. Right now the more pressing matter was figuring out why he couldn't remember the fall, and how that was connected to him ended up thirteen years in the future; then the next part would be to figure out how it worked so he could go back. He looked back up at the large screen TV, seeing it play some random cooking program; he blinked at it for a moment before reaching for the remote to browse through channels. He glanced around for a clock, spying a simple face white one hanging on the wall near the stairs – 4:34. Without really knowing when the other man planned to make dinner, he had a good few hours to waste before then, settling against the cushions and clicked until he found something of interest to watch in the meantime.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: After series ends  
> Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Angst  
> Rating: G/PG  
> Summary: A name engraved in stone can not be changed, but perhaps fate prefers to believe otherwise. If you were to glimpse of a future where you could see your fate, and know exactly how it would affect the people closest to you, would you alter it?

Dinner was awkward; the two of them sitting across from each other in silence, trying to get through their plate as quickly as possible, yet neither had an appetite. Barnaby stared down at the rice and chicken tenders on his plate, shoveling the pieces around with his fork; part of him had been expecting fried rice – it would've been something familiar about the man sitting across the table from him. Kotetsu didn't look up from his dish, slowly chewing his food with stiff posture. This was the first "proper" meal he's had in a long while; most of the time he just wasn't in the mood to cook for himself and usually settled for fruits or bread, if even that at all. Their eyes would catch once or twice during dinner, but they would quickly turn away making the atmosphere even more unsettling.

Barnaby sighed, daring to look up from his plate as he studied the older man across the table from him; he had to admit – Kotetsu aged quite well, considering he should be in his 50s by now. The silver streaks did nothing to show his age, if anything they gave his appearance a sort of edge, popping out against his dark auburn brown hair. The tanned skin was still unmarked, the only visible wrinkles were around his eyes and the corners of his mouth, but it could be easily passed off as damage from stress. The blond surprised himself that he actually missed the little tiger beard – not that the current whiskers the man was sporting now was unattractive, but he had just grown so used to seeing Kotetsu with such a distinctive trademark, that any other form of beards was just – wrong. Barnaby blushed, quickly looking away from the man when he realised he was staring more than he should be.

After forty minutes of struggling with his food, Kotetsu sighed and set his utensils down, slowly getting up to his feet. He couldn't eat anymore – both out of habit and from the smothering pressure in the air. Forest green eyes blinked as the man picked up his plate and headed over to the open kitchen to put his leftovers away. He told the blond where the containers where in case Barnaby didn't finish his own meal, and that the bed was his for the night. Barnaby opened his mouth to protest, saying this was Kotetsu's home; the elder had to bite back his tongue at wanting to say it was theirs. He didn't sleep in his own bed much anyways, he assured, explaining that the blond had free range to anything in the closet before retiring to his office for the night.

Barnaby sighed, suddenly at a loss of an appetite as he stared down at his plate. He found the containers with little trouble, putting away his own leftovers in the fridge and then headed for the bedroom. He paused by the shelf on the wall staring at the photos decorating it, eyeing the one of him and Kotetsu. Now he understood what was different about it – it wasn't the environment, or the tans they were both sporting – it was the mood between them. The tender closeness of their hold around each other, the subtlety of their body language, the wide smiles of enjoying a beautiful location with someone they loved; he tore his eyes away from the photo continuing on to the bedroom.

He sank down on to the springy mattress with a heavy sigh, eyes staring down at the carpeted floor as his mind wandered. He wondered if he had lived in this house alongside Kotetsu, or if the other had moved after his death – it seemed like the kind of place Barnaby would pick out, both in style and in structure. A hand wandered across the bed spread, sitting in the unnerving silence of the room – a double, queen maybe king-size bed; a size Barnaby used even if it was just himself, but Kotetsu was more practical about his use of space – the bed would've been a single and the rooms would've definitely been a lot smaller, with more clutter.

He stood up from the bed, suddenly very self-consciously aware of the possibility that his future self and Kotetsu had shared this same sleeping space. He began circling around the room, suddenly wishing he was anywhere, but here – maybe he should've taken Nathan up on his offer; at least he'd feel somewhat at ease where he wasn't constantly surrounded by the signs of a life he and his partner had built together – or would build with time. He glanced over to the shelves donning the walls, staring at the titles gracing the shelves; if this was the house he lived in then surely there were books on there that catered to his interests. He took a closer look, skimming through the titles to find that there were literature works the blond would read, letting out a relief sigh as he ran a finger along the spines. Maybe a good read would calm his nerves down and allow him to sleep. He stopped at a title-less book, jerking his hand back in surprise as he simply stared at it; he knew what it could be and he was cursing himself for even being the least bit curious.

He paced on the spot, wringing his hands together to keep from thinking about it, but the curiosity, the overwhelming desire to know was creeping up on him. A hand pulled it from the shelf without thought, staring at the gold, cursive print reading "Album" in bold, italic letters. This was bad idea, he knew it, but it didn't stop him from easing the cover open, eyes widening at the immediate image of him and Kotetsu in swimsuits, the sea, the clear cerulean blue sky and the golden sand of a beach in the background greeting him. He swallowed a hard breath, turning the next page; a formal dinner party it looked like – HeroTV business, judging from the fact that there was an Agnes in the background.

As the pages went on, the photos were becoming less and less formal and more personal; little treasures like him and Kotetsu waltzing together, sleeping on the couch cuddled in each other arms, holding hands at a fancy dinner table while smiling up at the camera, a very embarrassing photo of Kotetsu carrying a very surprised-looking Barnaby via princess style. Some of the photos had descriptive tags, some didn't and some just simply had dates scrawled out in neat, curly writing. He felt his heart stop at a picture of his older self and Kotetsu dressed in formal tuxes, the dark-haired man holding the blonde's left hand close to his face, lips pressing a tender kiss against pale knuckles. If it weren't for the handwritten text under the photo, Barnaby would never have guessed the context behind this image.

_Summer Wedding – July 16, 1985_

Mint green eyes stared at the words for what felt like an eternity of silence, letting the reality of the image sink in. He felt like he was staring into a foreign world, that this was a completely different Barnaby Brooks Jr. standing hand in hand with a different Kotetsu T. Kaburagi. He backed up slowly towards the bed, sitting down on the edge of the mattress as he glanced through the rest of the photos – the exchange of vows, the first dance between them, the obligatory toast, a family photo featuring them alongside a teenage Kaede along with her grandmother and uncle. All outdoors from what he could see, judging by the hedges in the background, the open tent canvas over their heads and a cloudless blue sky in the horizon; a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth – he always did want to have an outdoor wedding if he ever got married.

It was odd, staring at his future self even though these photos would be taken in five years' time; it was as Nathan had said – the blond hadn't changed much in appearance, but Barnaby could clearly see a difference in himself. Something that wasn't physical – the way he smiled, the stilled laughs in the photos, the soft blush on his face – he was happy; really, truly and honestly happier than he's ever felt in his entire life. A tear surprised him, trickling slowly down his cheek and he pressed a hand to his mouth; that had been unexpected – he didn't think peeking into his own future would evoke such strange emotions in him to the point he'd actually cry.

"…the cake was cherry filled, by the way," the unexpected voice nearly made him jump off the bed. Barnaby whipped his head around to the door to see Kotetsu leaning against the frame, arms folded across his chest and a blank expression on his face. Barnaby's mouth hung open as he tried to articulate a response, simply sitting there with the photo album lying flat open on his lap. Kotetsu didn't say anything, pushing away from the frame and walked over to the bed; the blond flinched at the hand reaching out to him, surprised when a calloused thumb gently traced the faint streak the tear left behind, gently wiping away at the corner of his eye. Barnaby's cheeks flared with a light pink colour, the older withdrawing his hand before reaching for the album and picked it off the young Hero's lap. He closed it carefully, walking over to the shelves and placed it back where it belonged; forest green eyes looked to the floor in slight shame.

"…sorry…" he apologized.

"It's fine – didn't mean to startle you," Kotetsu shrugged.

"No, I mean – I shouldn't have looked," Barnaby murmured. The other didn't say anything, stiffly shrugging his shoulders as he hummed. Barnaby bit his lip, digging his fingers into the bed sheets. "Um – I t-thought you would be asleep by now…?"

"Had to use the bathroom and there's only one in the house, and it's over there," Kotetsu answered, pointing to the door on the blonde's right. Barnaby glanced briefly to the door, letting out a small 'oh' sound before they fell back into an awkward silence. Kotetsu cleared his throat, amber-brown eyes staring to the windows across the room. "Thought you'd be sleeping..."

"…can't sleep…"

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised…" Kotetsu tapped his fingers on his side – he really could go for a cigarette right about now. He took in a deep before crossing the room to the bathroom, not making a sound as the door opened and closed, turning the light on before he leaned back against it. He closed his eyes, lightly banging his head against the surface behind him letting out a shuddering breathe; why had he done that? What in the world possessed him to reach out and touch the blond? He looked down at his hand with a painful gaze, before frowning and curled it into a fist. He still missed him – two years and he still yearned for the warmth of the other's body against his, the subtle breath in his ear at the sweet whispers the used to spill from rose-coloured lips.

He pressed his open palms against his eyes, trying to still the tears before he could shed them; he wasn't sure if his sanity was going to keep together at this rate. Hopefully they could work out how the younger Barnaby ended up in the future soon and send him back home before Kotetsu did something stupid, something he'd never be able to take back. Taking a few meditative deep breaths to calm himself down, he pushed away from the door to do his business.

Out in the bedroom, Barnaby sat where he was on the bed, leaning over his knees with his arms folded across his lap; he was feeling – conflicted with himself and confused by all the emotions that were swimming in his head from the touch. Normally he would've been adverse to such an intimate touch, defensive and on guard against such a gesture, but somehow – that had been…almost nice. He was sure he was blushing now, burying his forehead against his hand as he let out a silent groan. What was wrong with him? It's not like he felt any particular feelings towards the other man right now…did he?

Barnaby let out a frustrated sigh as he rested his chin against his hands; nothing made sense – where did all those feelings come from? How did it even start? He didn't think either of them thought of men as being attractive; he certainly didn't and he had assumed Kotetsu didn't considering he had a wife previously. However, all the evidence around him, the proof of such a relationship between them was practically glaring in his face; confused as he was, he also felt…surprisingly angry. He wasn't angry because of this love that seemed to pop out of nowhere that was between him and Kotetsu – he was angry at his future self for daring to leave such a life behind, even though given the circumstance the thought was irrational.

He glanced up to the sound of flushing, hearing water running in, before it stopped and the door opened again. Barnaby quickly glanced to the floor as Kotetsu walked around the bed past him; neither said a word as the older man cross the room to the bedroom leading out to the living room.

"Um – I'll try to figure this out as quickly possible," Barnaby suddenly spoke up. Kotetsu froze at the door, hand on the knob as his brain try to catch up with what the blond said. He didn't say anything for a few minutes before turning the handle.

"Get some sleep…" he simply said, the door closing shut behind them with a light click. Mint green eyes dared to glance at the door, before letting out a sigh and stared back down at the floor. Sleep – that was the last thing on the blonde's mind, but he had to try anyways; still a little self-conscious though, he was hesitant to crawl under the covers, taking his glasses off and set them on the bedside drawer. He laid his head down on the soft, downy pillow, trying not to think about where he was at the present moment. As he drew in deep breaths to lure himself to sleep, the scent of cleaned, pressed linings filled his nose, absent of any kind of personal scent. He curled up on his side, pulling the sheets closer around him – it was cold.

**-8-**

There was a useless string of advertisements going over his head as he stared blankly at the TV, holding the cigarette to his lips, not really paying much attention to the stick burning away without his doing. He had spent the better part of the morning on the phone with his editor, the printers and of course the publishers congratulating him on completing the next installment of his series; it should be hitting the shelves in a week or so, he was told. Kotetsu sighed, leaning back against the seat of the couch as he took a long drag from his "cancer-stick" as his daughter liked to refer to it, blowing a puff of smoke into the air.

Kaede had called earlier after all the obligatory business calls were over, checking up on him even though she was supposed to be relaxing on her vacation. He had argued with himself whether he should tell her about Barnaby or not, but it had been long established between them that the woman did not appreciate his secrets anymore and made him promise never to hide anything from her again. Kaede had been silent for a good ten minutes before asking if he'd be all right; Kotetsu wasn't sure how to answer her. They had hung up with a less than cheerful note and he hoped this issue wouldn't make her worry needlessly when she's supposed to be enjoying her time with her husband.

The sound of a door clicking adverted his attention, glancing over his shoulder to where the bedroom laid, seeing the blond wander out into the living room. Barnaby put a hand over his mouth to cover up the yawn before reaching to try and put his hair into order. Kotetsu tried not to swallow the mouthful of smoke and choke himself as he stared at the young man; the usual neat and precise curls were sticking out in odd ends and directions, bright green eyes half-closed as they tried to shake off the drowsiness, his clothes still rumpled from sleeping. Kotetsu looked away, quickly distracting himself with an opposite corner of the room – he always did find Barnaby's bedhead appearance to be the most goddamn sexiest look in the world.

It seemed to take a few minutes before Barnaby fully woke up, suddenly stopping in his tracks as he glance at the man sitting on the couch, before looking away. He cleared his throat a few times, trying to muster up the courage to say something, but his words still came out in a soft, undignified squeak.

"G-good morning…"

"…technically its afternoon," Kotetsu answered. Barnaby looked around for the clock, only to realise he had forgotten to put his glasses on, eyes squinting around the room.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Just a little past one…" Kotetsu replied. "Um – hungry? I could make lunch for you or something…" he offered hesitantly. Barnaby shook his head, back tracking towards the bedroom to retrieve his glasses.

"No, it's fine – I can put something together myself," he paused before adding, "Um, thanks though." The other didn't say anything, only humming in response before Barnaby continued back to the bedroom. He asked if he could use the shower and Kotetsu nodded, pointing out where the towels were and that the blond was still welcomed to anything in the closet. They might not fit right due to height difference, but it was at least a fresh change of clothes. The blond nodded before disappearing to go wash up; Kotetsu slumped against his seat, cigarette temporarily forgotten as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. This was going to be grueling however long period of time Barnaby was stuck here for.

Barnaby retrieved his glasses from the dresser, putting them on his face as he just stood there for a moment to gather his wits; day three and he still had a hard time grasping the concept that he was in the future. He hoped he wouldn't get _too_ used to it, as he didn't want to stick around any longer than necessary. Letting out a sigh, he treaded over to the closet on the other side of the room, sliding the door open and began hastily browsing the array of clothes neatly tucked away in the storage space. He picked out a pair of faded denim pants and simple white tee before headed to the bathroom to wash up. He found the extra towels easily enough, setting the clothes on the counter as he stared at the shower knobs for a minute, fiddling around with them to figure out how they worked. Once he got the water to a suitable temperature, he stripped out of the clothes he was currently wearing and stepped under the warm spray.

There was an instant sigh of relief as the warm drops splashed his face, closing his eyes against the gentle pressure as he let the water soak him. He relished in the feeling for a few minutes before shaking himself out of it, groping blindly around for the soap to start washing; while he enjoyed long showers, this wasn't exactly his home. After twenty minutes, he shut the water off, reaching out for the towel to pat dry himself and dress into the clothes he had picked out. It was mildly discomforting pulling on the older man's underwear, but he wasn't about to go without it. He found the hairdryer easily enough, plugged it in, found a brush and did the best he could with his blond locks. He managed to get some order to his head, but most of the curls fell flat or curved in their own direction since he didn't have a proper curler on hand.

Barnaby frowned at his reflection in the mirror, pulling and tugging at his fly-away curls trying to get them to fall in place. He wondered for a moment if there was a curling iron around that was hidden, but another, much more prominent thought reminded him that he's been dead for two years and the likely hood of Kotetsu keeping something he didn't even need was slim. Making do with his half-assed grooming, he unplugged the hairdryer, put it back in its proper place, hung the used towel up to dry and turned off the light as he left the bathroom. He walked out into the bedroom and wondered what he should do from here now? It's not like he could go out at his own leisure, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to be under the same roof as Kotetsu at the moment.

"No – don't tell me what's good for my sorry ass, you ass!" the voice was muffled through the door, but it still made Barnaby jump slightly at the yell. He blinked at the closed door, quietly creeping up to it and put an ear up against the wood.

"Just – no…look, if you're not going to say something worth wild then get off the fuckin' phone, Toni!" he heard Kotetsu growl. It took Barnaby a minute or two to figure out who "Toni" was the first face that came to mind was the young boy from the ice rink incident and the moving statues. Which confused the blond for a moment since it wouldn't be like Kotetsu to talk to someone he inspired like that – then it struck him that Toni was just shorthand for Antonio.

"No, no, just…sorry, you're right – I'm _not_ handling this well…" the tone got softer and Barnaby had to strain his hearing to pick up the rest of the one-sided conversation. "I know, but – shit – you know how long it took me to get over Tomoe? This isn't exactly a walk in the park, you know…" There was a long pause on the other side of the door, Barnaby holding his breath as he stayed pressed up against the wood, waiting for a response in return from the older man.

"Yeah, I know – already got that lecture from Nathan…it's hard, but doable…yeah, look – I've got things to do today, so I'll talk to you later, ok? Yeah…bye," with that, the conversation ended. Barnaby pulled away from the door, taking a few paces back as he took bits and pieces of the half talk he had heard. He knew he was causing trouble for the older man by being here; he circled the room a bit, giving himself several moments before he walked out – he didn't want to seem like he had been eavesdropping.

Kotetsu hung up the phone with a sigh, putting it back on the stand where it belonged and just stared at it. He basically had the same conversation with Nathan with Antonio just now, only a little less sugar-coated and more swearing. He sighed running a hand through his hair; he was tempted to give the blond the important essentials and just drop him in a hotel until they could figure this out, but he knew the others would object to leaving the man by himself – even if Barnaby agreed with the notion. The door clicked open behind him, amber-brown eyes glancing over as the younger man walked out; his hair was still a little disheveled but looked a lot tamer than when he had first woke up. Kotetsu looked away, clearing his throat as he spoke out of habit.

"Hey…"

"I, um – thanks for the use of your shower…"

"It's technically our house, so you have free range of everything…" Kotetsu explained hesitantly. "Just – not my office space," he added as an afterthought. Barnaby only hummed, just standing there as he reached a hand to hold his arm, glancing off to the wall. An awkward silence fell between them before Kotetsu cleared his throat again and picked something off the boxed TV shelf and walked over to the blond; mint green eyes blinked at him in confusion at the leather-made wallet held up to him.

"Um, this…?" he asked.

"Just – basics, you know? Loose change, some bills, credit card - all that stuff," Kotetsu answered, eyes still avoiding the man. Barnaby shook his head, slowly pushing the wallet away while avoiding touching Kotetsu directly as much as possible.

"I can't – it's not mine to use."

"More than half the money is yours anyways, so it makes no difference," Kotetsu cut in. He practically shoved the wallet against the sturdy chest, surprising both of them as they caught eyes; his hand lingered for a moment, before he pulled it away slowly, Barnaby taking hold of the wallet so it wouldn't drop to the floor. The dark-haired man didn't say anything, quickly turning on his heels and crossed the room to the door on the other side, disappearing through it with a sharp slam. The blond stood rooted to the spot, trying to settle the sudden pounding of his heart as he stared down at the leather pouch in his hand. His stomach gave a soft, reminding growl that he had barely eaten anything last night and that it was already crawling to two in the afternoon. He pocketed the wallet for now and then set about the kitchen to make something substantial to eat; he thought about the leftover chicken from last night, but seeing as he couldn't remember which container was his and which was Kotetsu's he settled on a basic sandwich again, pulling out some lettuce, tomatoes and luncheon meats and retrieved the bread.

**-Chapter Six/End-**


	7. Chapter 7

The few remaining hours of the afternoon crawled by at an incredibly slow pace for the two men. Barnaby drifted between the bedroom and the living room, trying to keep occupied; he was reluctant to pull a book off the numerous shelves decorating the house, afraid he'd stumble across another photo album or a momentum about his future life. Kotetsu spent most of the time clammed up in his office, making brief appearances to retrieve something from the open kitchen, or to use the bathroom. Barnaby sat down on the sofa with a slouched posture, leaning his head against the back as he stared up at the white ceiling overhead. He could hear the quiet ticking of the clock on the wall, the light from outside darkening as the sun was slowly setting. He wondered what they were going to do about dinner tonight – if the older man would make something for the both of them again, or if it'd be better if they just took care of themselves.

As the early evening sun started to dip lower and lower below the horizon, he got up to find the light switch to brighten up the room. He heard the office door click open just as he stood up, eyes glancing over out of reflex as Kotetsu stepped out of his workspace. The two caught eyes, brown gazing into green as they stood in awkward silence; Kotetsu looked away first, clearing his throat a few times before he opened his mouth to speak. Barely a word got out before the front door rang, both looking to the red-brown wood then at each other. It rang a few more times before Kotetsu moved to answer it, slowly turning the knob and pulled the door open to reveal one Nathan Seymour on the front step.

"Evening darlings~" he greeted. Kotetsu only gave him an irritated frown, the pink-coloured man ignoring it as he nudged to be let in. Kotetsu made a small noise but stepped aside to let the other in, a smile beaming across dark features as Nathan stepped through the threshold. "Hello Handsome~ how are you doing right now?"

"Ah, Fire- no, I guess I shouldn't be calling you that," Barnaby answered in returned. Nathan only smiled, waving a playful hand in the air.

"Oh I don't mind, honey – whatever is easiest for you~" he assured. The blond gave him a small smile at the response; he felt a little relieved to see a familiar face, thankful that the ex-Hero hasn't changed _that_ much.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be working?" Kotetsu grumbled, closing the door behind them. Nathan turned to him with a mock hurt expression, letting out a dramatic sigh as he put a hand to his chest.

"Really now, I go out of my way to come see you and this is the treatment I get?" he whined. "You see that Handsome? Kotetsu's such a mean little grouch now!" he teased. The other let out a noise crossed between a hum and growl, crossing his arms over his chest. Barnaby didn't say anything, not sure how to react to this situation or if he should react at all. Nathan sighed, shrugging his shoulders casually before giving them a serious smile. "I got finished with my work early tonight, so I thought I'd take you two out for dinner – my treat~" he offered.

"Oh, um – I don't know…" Barnaby replied uneasily. Nathan gave him a playful pout, folding his hands together in a prayer-like motion to his chest.

"Don't be shy, Handsome~ we rarely ever got to hang out like proper co-workers, so indulge a lady for tonight?" he pleaded sweetly. The blond fidgeted on the spot, chewing on his bottom lip before hesitantly nodding his head; Nathan did a little victory cheer, before turning the dark-haired man standing behind him. He barely got a word out before Kotetsu stormed off towards his office door.

"Not going," he answered sharply, the door slamming with a loud bang behind him. Barnaby flinched at the sound, before reaching a hand to hold his arm, mint green eyes staring down to the floor at his bare feet. Nathan glanced at him with a sympathetic look, before letting out a heavy sigh and started walking towards the closed door.

"Excuse us a moment, dear~" he pardoned with a slight smile. Barnaby only blinked as the pink-haired man turned the handle and waltzed right into the room, closing the door with much more ease than Kotetsu had. The blond felt an unsettling feeling sink in his gut, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he waited for the final verdict; he was kind of half hoping Nathan wouldn't be able to convince Kotetsu. Just the two of them alone was awkward enough in the privacy of the old man's home – being out in public together was going to be a nerve-wrecker. After what felt like twenty minutes, the two emerged from the room, Nathan beaming a confident smile while Kotetsu followed behind sulking; of course – never underestimated the persuasion power of one ex-Fire Emblem.

"Ok~! We're clear to go, now we just need to get you both dressed up~" Nathan cheered. Barnaby only made a small noise in response, Kotetsu letting out an 'hmpf', before they shuffled towards the bedroom.

"Um, where are we going?" Barnaby asked, Nathan raiding the closet once Kotetsu had already picked out his attire. The bathroom slammed shut as the older man disappeared through it to change; Nathan tossed a few articles of clothing here and there, holding them up for inspection.

"We'll be going to one of my favorites – you know the one in Fortress Tower?" the ex-Hero questioned. Barnaby didn't answer, only nodded his head in silence; he knew that one all too well. After several minutes of fussing and scouring through the closet, the pink-adorned man finally found something he deemed suitable for the young blond to wear. He kept his back to the blond while he continued to search through the closet for a jacket to match, Barnaby quickly stripping out of the denim pants to pull on the black slacks, pulling the white shirt over his head and slipping on the red silk dress shirt. He had gotten the last of the buttons done up by the time Nathan let out a triumphant "ha" at finding a black formal jacket to complete the look. The door to the bathroom opened, bright green eyes looking up as his partner stepped out into the bedroom; Barnaby's breath caught for a moment as he took in the man's changed appearance.

Kotetsu had changed out of the jeans and plain grey tee he had been wearing earlier to white dress pants, folded at the hem twice, a plain black belt looped around his waist and a black V-neck shirt; he completed the look by throwing on a white semi-formal sports jacket over his shoulders, a hand running through his bangs to comb them out. He had shaved – well, enough that Barnaby could see a difference. The previous whiskers that had been tracing along his jawline and upper lip had been shaved off, leaving most of the hairs concentrated on the chin. It was not the same as the kitten beard, but somehow Barnaby couldn't help but feel that it still suited the man. There was a faint chypre scent that filled his nose – cologne, maybe, but it wasn't a fragrance he recognized from the few occasions Kotetsu did wear it in the past. Barnaby looked away as he took the jacket that was handed to him, putting it on as Nathan let out an appreciative hum.

"You always did have impeccable fashion sense, Kotetsu~" he cooed. Kotetsu only answered with a gruff, before walking over to the closet to pull out a pair of black dress shoes.

"Let's just go get this over with," he grumbled. Nathan gave him a hard nagging stare, which went ignored as the man toed his shoes on and walked out of the room. Barnaby watched the retreating back as he straightened out the collar of the coat, before turning troubled eyes to stare at the carpeted floor. Nathan noticed, reaching an arm around the blonde's shoulder, feeling the youth tense up as he snuggled close to him.

"Shall we get going then, Handsome?" Nathan asked in a song-like tone.

"S-shouldn't we do something about, um – me first? I mean, I don't exactly fall under the radar…" Barnaby squirmed, trying to wriggle free from the embrace. Nathan withdraw his arm much to the blonde's relief, a thoughtful expression crossing dark features before his face brighten up with an idea. He wandered over to the side dressers, pulling out drawers and began shuffling through their contents carefully before producing what looked like a thin, black hair tie. Barnaby whined silently as the other turned to him with an expectant look – he didn't like anyone besides himself and hair stylists touching his hair, but he relented holding his hands in front to keep from interfering as Nathan worked with the messy curls.

Talented long fingers combed through his hair, pulling it back and carefully twisting it, curling it up into what felt like a loose bun; he could feel the snap of the tie against his head as Nathan worked the hairband in, pulling back his bangs to add to the tie. A few short strands pulled free from the restraint when he was able to move his head again, a hand reaching to brush them aside out of habit. Nathan walked around to view his handiwork from the front, giving the blond a flirty smile as he clapped his hands together in satisfaction for the overall look. Barnaby doubted tying his hair up would make much of a difference, but he kept that opinion to himself.

Having finished playing dress up, they wandered out of the bedroom and into the living room, Kotetsu standing by the front door, an arm crossed over his chest and a cigarette in hand as he tapped his foot impatiently. Nathan frowned at the amber glow at the end of the stick, the smoke wafting thinly in the air.

"You know you'll have to put that out before getting in my car," Nathan reminded. Kotetsu only huffed, taking another long drag before he spoke.

"Wasn't expecting you to take so long," he opened the door, the evening autumn air greeting him.

"I had to do something about Handsome – can't very well have him walking about the streets alive, you know," Nathan countered, gesturing to the young man behind him. "What do you think, though? Looks nice – I would've done more, but you lack proper styling quips." He complimented, waving a vague hand in Barnaby's direction. Kotetsu spared a quick glance at the blond, seeing forest green eyes quickly duck to the side; the honey blond tresses had been twisted and done up in a loose and tousled bun, most of the hair falling in waves on top of Barnaby's head, but somehow the look wasn't sloppy. If anything, it made the man look more feminine than usual, and having a pretty face didn't help with that either. Kotetsu didn't say anything, quickly turning away as he walked out the front door – he was afraid to open his mouth, afraid of the words that would slip; he's seen Barnaby with his hair up before, but it was on brief occasions – like when he was cooking or when he took a soak in the bathtub. He's never seen him with anything fancier than a clumsily done, low pullback ponytail and for just a split second – Kotetsu thought his heart skipped a beat.

Nathan let out a sigh at the lack of reaction, quickly glancing over to Barnaby and surprised to see a disheartening expression on fair features. He let out a curious hum at the reaction, before reaching out for the man's arm, giving him a playful smile as he ushered him outside to the red sports car parked in the driveway. Kotetsu called 'shotgun' while Barnaby crawled into the back, sitting directly behind the dark-haired man – which he thought had been a good idea at the time, since it meant he wouldn't be staring at him all the time, but it made the scent of his cologne stronger. It was a warm, familiar scent now that Barnaby got a better whiff of it – it smelled a lot like the sandalwood incenses that the elder used to lace his old home with.

The ride to Fortress Tower was long and nerving, Nathan doing most of the talking to keep it from getting too quiet in the car before they finally arrived at the towering skyscraper. Barnaby took a glance up at the building as they walked in, the lights of the city already on as the sky blackened into night; it hasn't really changed at all in these thirteen years – at least on the outside. The inside lobby had been remodeled – twice apparently, according to Nathan's ranting; the bronze statue of Legend however was still there, standing tall and proud at the entrance to greet its visitors. The elevator ride up had been silent, Nathan taking a breather to simply enjoy the ride to the restaurant at the top level. Barnaby tried not to fidget as he remembered the first time he and Kotetsu came here – how what started as documentary visit turned into heart-pounding episode for HeroTV.

It felt like hours before the elevator doors dinged open, Nathan leading as he waved to the host on duty, the woman not even needing his name as she lead them to a table by the windows lining the circular space. Nathan let Kotetsu take a seat first, then ushered the young blond to sit directly across from the dark-auburn haired man, both parties protesting to the arrangement. The fire-user didn't give them room for argument as he practically shoved Barnaby to his seat, taking the chair next to the younger man as he feigned an innocent smile. He provided most of the conversation for the table, the only brief words from the other two when they ordered their meals. Some minutes after the drinks had arrived, Kotetsu got up from the table with the excuse of the restroom. Barnaby didn't say anything as he watched the other's back disappear around the corner, hands fiddling with the tall, cylinder glass.

"…he's gotten quite handsome with age, don't you think?" Nathan asked. Forest green eyes blinked at the chocolate-coloured man sitting next to him, seeing a knowing smile on those delicately pink painted lips.

"Who – has?" Barnaby questioned with an owl stare. Nathan tsked, letting out a sigh as he leaned his chin in his palm.

"I mean Kotetsu – though I suppose it was expected, but he's aged quite magnificently I must say~" Nathan specified. "Don't you agree?"

"Uh, well – I wouldn't say 'magnificently' – I mean! It's not that he looks bad or anything! The opposite, actually…" Barnaby started rambling. He stopped when he realised what it was he was saying, seeing the smile broaden across dark features; he turned away with a streak of pink tainting his cheeks, looking out the window to the city view. "I didn't mean – it's not…"

"Oh don't even try, honey," Nathan finally chided. "You've been staring at him ever since we left the house." Barnaby was sure the colour on his cheeks darkened; no he knew it did – he could see it in the faint reflection in the window. He dared to glance at the rose-pink eyes gazing at him with a bemused look, a perfectly manicured finger tracing the rim of the champagne glass making it ring softly. Meanwhile in the restrooms, Kotetsu braced himself against the brim of the counter, staring into the marble sink as the remaining water drained down. Honey-brown eyes peeked up at his reflection in the mirror, cringing at the face he was showing – did he really look _that_ miserable right now? His mind wandered back to the conversation he had earlier with Nathan before they left the house.

_"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled once the door to his office clicked shut. Dark-rose coloured eyes only look at him with a blank stare, Nathan folding his arms over his chest._

_"I think I'm trying to get_ you _out of this damn house," he answered firmly. Kotetsu didn't say anything, slouching further in his seat. Nathan sighed and shook his head. "When's the last time you've been outside your own door – that_ wasn't _related to work?" Nathan added before the other could open his mouth to answer that question. Kotetsu sealed his mouth shut, staring blankly at the surface of his desk; there were still papers spewed around his work computer – outlines, drafts, rough sketches for different bits and pieces of his chapters. He heard another sigh followed by the soft clicking of the other's heels against the wooden floor; he startled slightly at the arms circling around his shoulders, feeling the pointed chin rest on top of his head. "It's not just me, you know – everyone is worried about you," Nathan explained softly._

_Kotetsu didn't answer – so he didn't feel like dragging himself out for a leisure stroll or have a meal out; most of the time he spent out of the house was usually business related or obligated appointments. Half the time the others had to practically_ drag _him out on the rare occasions they were insistent he should hang out with them. He sighed, carefully tilting his head up to glance at the man hovering over him. "Does_ he _have to come along though?" he asked with a harsh tone. Rose-coloured eyes narrowed slightly at him, Nathan's tone coming out clipped and slightly irritated._

_"Don't be such a jerk about this – you can't just leave Handsome here to fend for himself!"_

_"He's been fine doing just that…"_

_"Do I have to teach you manners in hospitality?" Nathan asked. Kotetsu didn't answer – it wasn't a joke and he knew it, crossing his arms over torso as he glared at a crumpled paper on his desk._

_"It's practically a date!" he spat._

_"It's not a date when there's a third party," Nathan pointed out._

_"Still a date – awkward as hell, but still a date," Kotetsu griped. Nathan sighed heavily, resting his chin on top of the dark-auburn's head, tightening his hold slightly as he gently rocked the other in his seat._

_"Look – I'm just trying to get you out of the house, and I'm using this opportunity to get Handsome to open up me to so he doesn't have to rely on_ you _when he gets into a tight spot," he explained. There was a subtle twitch that went unnoticed at the way he stressed the sentence, continuing on in a much softer tone. "Besides – did it ever occur to you that maybe there's a reason_ why _Barnaby is here?" Kotetsu blinked, slowly turning his head around so he could face the pink-adorned man standing behind him._

_"What? You think he was sent here on purpose?"_

_"Well, let's think about – why now? It's been two years since our Barnaby Brooks Jr died, and this Barnaby is_ before _your relationship happened, so why_ that _particular Barnaby?" Nathan explained. "I don't think this happened by coincidence."_

_"And – exactly_ what _do you think he's meant to achieve by being here? Make me more miserable?"_

_"No…" Nathan started slowly, shaking his head. "I think – he's here to help you move on from yourself…" There was a long stretch of silence between them as the words rolled in Kotetsu's head. Nathan hovered a few minutes more before slowly withdrawing; a huge sigh escaped the old veteran Hero, slowly standing up from his chair._

_"Fine – I'll go…" Kotetsu answered. There was a tender smile on Nathan's face, giving the man a slight nod before they headed to the door._

Kotetsu sighed as he shook his head at his reflection – what he was thinking right now, he didn't even know anymore. It didn't really make much sense what Nathan had said now that he was thinking about it – actually, just Barnaby from thirteen years ago being here without a single change to their memories made even less sense. Amber-brown eyes took one last glance at the mirror, staring intently at the silver streaks running through his hair; he had a feeling he was going to be getting a lot more in the near future from the stress of this. He sighed, pushing away from the sink and headed back out to the table before either Barnaby or Nathan started looking for him. He came back to find that the food had already arrived, the other two waiting for him to return; he muttered a small apology for the wait, both dismissing it in a casual manner.

He caught eyes with Barnaby for a brief moment, the blond quickly turning his eyes away to his plate picking up his utensils to start on his meal. Kotetsu was slightly surprised by the reaction, quickly brushing it off as he picked up his own fork and knife to eat. Nathan filled in for most of the talking as always, recalling the "old days" from their Hero career – mostly reminiscing about the times before the whole Maverick incident. Barnaby only paid half attention to the pink-haired man's ramblings, finding his eyes wandering to the man sitting across from him. Kotetsu spent most of the meal with his eyes down at his plate, slowly chewing away at the meat and vegetables on his platter. Every time honey-brown eyes would glance up, Barnaby would quickly look away, hoping he wasn't blushing; the teasings he got from Nathan while the other was in bathroom earlier was not helping.

Kotetsu tried to avoid looking at the young blond as much as possible; something he found was a little hard to do considering the man was sitting right in front of him, stealing shy glances when he thought he wasn't looking. Kotetsu had difficulty swallowing a particularly stubborn mouthful; he recognized those glances – he gave them often enough when he had been pining after his partner all those years ago. All those times when he realised what he felt was so much more than partners for handsome young Hero; the unsure glances he would sneak, the light flutter in his stomach whenever their hands touched, having his mood brighten just simply being in the other's presence. Kotetsu caught himself before his thoughts could wander any further, dark brows knitting together as he glared down at his steak – he really didn't want to be here anymore.

"So~ who wants to split a dessert?" Nathan suggested sweetly. The plates had been cleared away and their glasses mostly empty after refusing another refill. Kotetsu only huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You know I don't like sweet…"

"Oh don't say that – you know it's not true," Nathan teased, turning a playful smile to the man next to him. "Once a sweet tooth always a sweet tooth, don't you think so Handsome?"

"I-I wouldn't know – I'm not much for sweets either…" Barnaby stumbled, looking away from the other. Nathan huffed, folding his hands together as he leaned his elbows on the table.

"Oh you two are no fun – the tiramisu here is simply _to die_ for," he coaxed. Before anymore could be said on the subject of dessert, a cheery tune played interrupting the persuasion. Nathan reached into his pocket for his phone, glanced at the caller ID and flipped it open, rising from his seat. "Excuse me a moment while I take this," he excused. Kotetsu hissed at him not to leave them alone, but the phone was already to his ear, the CEO walking away from the noisy crowds to find a quieter area to talk. There was an awkward silence between the two partners despite the chattering of the other guests seated around them, both looking to the window just to avoid staring at each other.

Barnaby occupied himself with finishing what little was left of his drink, staring at the blinking city lights dominating the cloudy night sky; one would really have to go far out of Stern Bild in order to see any proper stars. He snuck a quick glance to Kotetsu, seeing him leaning his chin in his palm, the other hand tapping fingers against the linen table cloth out of nervous habit. He looked back out the window, mint green eyes surveying the buildings below them, his mind wandering away from him as an old memory resurfaced itself. He bit his lip, taking a deep breath as Barnaby tried to stir up the courage to speak.

"Um – K-Kotetsu?"

"What?" the other responded roughly. Barnaby cringed at the tone, but steeled up his nerve as he pointed out the window; this was either going to go really badly or may not even do anything at all.

"…what's that?" he asked. Honey-brown stared hard at him, staring at the finger pointing out the window to something below; he followed it to its target, frowning deeply at the multiple structures dominating the land beneath them.

"What's what?" he grunted.

"That – to the left," Barnaby pointed out with a vague gesture.

"…a building…" Kotetsu finally answered after a few moments of silence. Barnaby felt a pleasant twitch at the corner of his mouth, pointing to another one.

"And that?"

"…also a building…"

"And the one next to it?"

"A building…and the one in front of that is a building, and the one aside of that is a building too… You know what? They're all buildings! What the hell do you expect in a building-like city?" There was a long stretch of silence as they just stared at each other before Barnaby couldn't take it anymore, letting out a small laugh. He was half expecting an Agnes to pop out of nowhere, cameras and everything, yelling at the man to be serious. Kotetsu flustered a little at the sudden laugh, gritting his teeth as he turned his head away with a huff. Barnaby quieted his laughter, gently wiping away at the nostalgic tears threatening to spill.

"Sorry, you – you haven't really changed at all, have you?" he spoke without thought. Amber-brown eyes blinked at him in bewilderment, confused for a moment before he realised what had just transpired between them. He quickly looked down at the table, feeling the threat of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"We…stopped a bomb here, didn't we?"

"Yes, we did – which you destroyed the roof, by the way," Barnaby reminded. "And this building had just been newly completed too…"

"Hey! Who the hell kicks a bomb? You were lucky that thing was heavy-cased and not motion or pressure sensitive!" Kotetsu countered. Barnaby only shrugged as he leaned back in his seat.

"The kick is my specialty – besides, I wasn't even sure I could throw it that high anyways," Barnaby argued casually. Kotetsu grunted, leaning his chin in his hand as he gave the blond a pointed stare.

"Yeah, yeah – whatever you say mister 'I-don't-rely-on-instincts'," Kotetsu griped. Barnaby smiled, his bright green eyes staring back out the window as a sudden comforting peace fell between them. He swallowed a breath, hands tightening around the glass cup, not daring to look at the older man as he spoke.

"I – don't know if my future self ever told you this, but…even though I didn't trust you at the time, when you said you wouldn't leave me because I was your "partner" – for a brief moment I thought… 'maybe I can rely on this person'…" Barnaby confessed. Kotetsu looked at him with a startled expression, ignoring the slight flush on fair features for the moment. The Barnaby he knew never told him that – actually, he had always assumed that the bomb incident did nothing for them other than prove that even the great Barnaby Brooks Jr would rely on instincts from time to time. An odd silence settled back between them again, but something was different compared to the last three days they've spent in each other's company. The air was thankfully interrupted when Nathan returned to the table, a troubled look on the dolled-up face.

"What's wrong?" Kotetsu asked instinctively. Nathan only sighed, gathering up his things.

"I hate to eat and run like this, but I have to head home," he apologized. "Bill's already been taken care of, so you two are free to leave as you please; I'm afraid I can't take you home."

"Who was on the phone? Is everything all right?" Kotetsu drilled.

"It was Mira – her grandmother is not doing too well, so she's in the hospital right now; Mira wants to be there in case something happens," Nathan explained briefly. "Anyways, I have to get home so she can head over there. Thanks for joining me for dinner – we should really do it again some time." The tone was not as flirty as it normally would be, the worrying and fretting expression on the man's face making it even less so. Kotetsu stood up from his chair, following after the pink-adorned man in close strides.

"I can watch Cherice while you take Mira to the hospital," he offered. Nathan shook his head, giving the dark-auburn haired man a small smile.

"No, it's fine – I don't want to hassle you with watching her."

"And I'm sure Mira would want you with her in case something happens," Kotetsu argued. Nathan seemed stunned for a moment before a sad smile came to his face, hesitantly nodding his head.

"I assume Handsome is coming with us then?"

"He doesn't have much choice – he can't get into the house otherwise," Kotetsu answered, gesturing to Barnaby to follow along. The blond quickly got up to his feet, following after the pair towards the elevators, the ride down seeming longer than the ride up before they were waiting at the front entrance for the valet parking to bring Nathan's car around. The trip was silent and tense as they finally pulled into the other's apartment complex, Nathan practically rushing down the hall to his front door and punched the security code in, Kotetsu and Barnaby following closely behind. He opened the door to Mira pacing around the living room floor, her bright sunny eyes glancing up at the beep to see her Hero boss entering the flat. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Oh Mira," Nathan cooed softly. He cuddled the teen in his arms, gently petting her hair as she stuttered, choking back the tears as she explained what she had been told. Nathan gently shushed her, telling her he'd be taking her to the hospital and planned to sit with her for however long her grandmother's condition would last; Kotetsu would be here to watch Cherice while they were gone. Mira explained that the little girl was already in bed and hopefully sleeping; Nathan didn't go check, letting the teen go so she could gather her things and then headed to the door.

"I'll call if it looks like we'll be staying overnight – help yourselves to anything in the fridge and you both have access to the bath, if you want. Spare towels are in their usual place."

"Just go," Kotetsu stressed. With that, the two were out the door and off to the hospital, leaving the two men with the entire flat to themselves, plus one sleeping five year old girl. The two stood around the living room in awkward silence, Kotetsu clearing his throat as he made his way to the kitchen, asking if Barnaby wanted anything to drink. The blond politely refused. Kotetsu only nodded before he started rummaging through the store cupboards, Barnaby making his way over to the large windows on the other side to stare at the night sky. There was something oddly peaceful about gazing at the brightly multi-coloured lights stretched out before him, watching them change and glitter against the purple-black sky.

He could see Kotetsu walk up from behind him in the faint reflections of the glass, the elder standing aside of him, a stout glass in hand filled with some type of yellow-amber liquid. Alcohol, no doubt, but that wasn't something to be surprised about as Barnaby continued to appreciate the view. He could see a hand reach out behind him, but it still made him jump at the feel of fingers tugging at the tie in his hair, releasing the messy honey curls to flow over his shoulders. Forest green eyes turned a startled expression to the man next to him, seeing a strangely soft glow in amber-brown eyes.

"…I always did like you better with your hair down," Kotetsu simply said. A hand caressed through silken tresses, the tips of his fingers just barely brushing against the smooth cheek as he soothed the strands aside. Barnaby felt his cheeks flare with heat, words constricted by the feeling of his heart leaping into his throat at the action. Kotetsu seemed to realise what he was doing, suddenly jerking his hand back before he looked away, bringing the rim of the glass to his lips. He downed the whole glass in two gulps, muttering some excuse about using the bathroom before walking over to put his glass down and then disappeared through a door on the other side of the room. Barnaby didn't dare watch him, a hand reaching out for where he had been touched as a whole flood of emotions stirred in his chest.

The brief, but very thorough interrogation from dinner earlier this evening revealed things that the blond didn't want to admit – things like where these feelings came from, how it all started and that Barnaby was starting to realise he was feeling this way. He had always held some affection towards the old man, but he had always assumed that kind of love was something of a parental kind – like an uncle or a father figure, considering Kotetsu's meddling and paternal instincts as a single father. He had always felt safe and secure with the elder – the same kind of feelings he had every time he thought of his parents, the little moments he could remember about them.

Barnaby moved away from the window, wandering over to the soft cushioned couch to sit down as his mind still turned this revelation over. Even though Kotetsu literally shoved his way into the blonde's life and no matter how hard Barnaby tried to shove him back out, piece by piece the wall guarding his heart was being chipped away – both from the outside and inside. He sighed, leaning back against the back of the sofa as he thought about how his behavior changed after his defeat of Jake. If he didn't risk himself by trusting his partner, he never would've gotten a hit in and he never would've beaten the terrorist NEXT. Even though in the end, it turned out Jake wasn't responsible for his parents' death that event still changed his and Kotetsu's relationship since then. Looking back on his attitude now, he was embarrassed at how – _clingy_ he had been to his partner, no matter how subtle it had been.

A sudden drowsiness swept over him, staring up at the bright ceiling lights overhead as his eyelids became heavy. A little rest wouldn't hurt, he decided, closing his eyes for just a moment, folding his hands across his lap. He wasn't sure when he dozed off, or when he even laid down since the next time Barnaby opened his eyes he was lying on his side, a blanket covering up to his shoulders and the lights had been dimmed. He groaned as he sat up slowly, reaching a hand to rub the lingering sleep in his eyes; his glasses had also been taken off as he discovered. He squinted against the blurry vision, scanning the dim room before vaguely making out a figure sitting in the arm chair on the left. He groped blindly around the coffee table, eventually stumbling upon his glasses to put them on and refocus his vision.

Kotetsu sat slumbering away in the arm chair, head leaning against the back of the chair, mouth slightly parted as he drew in steady, even breathes. Barnaby only gazed at him quietly for a few moments, watching the man's sleeping face; even when asleep, he didn't look at peace at all. The blond sighed, before quietly getting up from the couch; he vaguely remembered where the spare blankets were, rummaging as quietly as he could for another one to drape over the dark-haired man. Kotetsu made a noise in his sleep; Barnaby froze, worried he might've woken the other up, but the man remained asleep. Barnaby let out a sigh of relief, simply standing there as watched the other's face; the silver-grey hairs, the faint age lines – they really didn't do anything to show the man's age. Stress maybe, but definitely not the image of a fifty-plus year old man. A hand was tempted to reach out and brush a stray strand of hair into place, but Barnaby stifled it, walking back to the sofa to lie back down.

He took his glasses back off and held on to them, pulling the blanket up to his chest as he lay on his back, staring up at the darkened ceiling. He closed his eyes, going through a few meditative breath cycles to lure himself back to sleep – at least for a little while longer.

Kotetsu jerked awake to the tender hand tapping his shoulder, hazy brown eyes glancing up to a very worn-out looking Nathan standing behind him. He groaned as he rubbed at his eyes, blinking a few times to clear up the fuzzy vision.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you – didn't realise you were sleeping," Nathan apologized softly. Kotetsu covered up a yawn as he straightened up, slightly surprised by the blanket sliding down his torso. He ignored it for now, running a quick hand through his bangs.

"S'fine – wasn't expecting you back so soon; what time is it?" he asked, taking up the blanket to fold it up.

"It's almost two in the morning," Nathan answered.

"How's Mira's grandmother?"

"Stable for now; doctors said she'll probably have to stay for a few days to monitor her condition, but so far everything seems to have settled," Nathan explained. There was a long pause before Kotetsu moved to push himself out of the chair, blanket folded in hand as he headed towards the closet to put it away. Nathan sighed as he shrugged out of his jacket, folding it over his arm as he headed to the bedroom to change into something a little more comfortable and remove his make-up.

"Need a drink?" Kotetsu asked quietly. The other paused at his bedroom door, throwing a small smile over his shoulder to the man.

"Tempting, but I really shouldn't – not before bed," he answered. Though he seemed to have given it another quick thought, shrugging his shoulders as he continued on to change, "but what the hell – sure, you know how I like it." Kotetsu only nodded, wandering towards the kitchen to start rummaging through the cupboards and chill cabinets as quietly as he could without waking up the blond still slumbering on the couch. Nathan reappeared several minutes later, make-up free and dressed in simple black sweats, looking the most masculine he'd probably ever be. Kotetsu handed one icy filled glass to the man, receiving a thankful hum as Nathan took a delicate sip, letting out a refreshed sigh.

"…How's Mira handling all this?" Kotetsu asked tentatively after a couple of sips.

"Alright for the time being," Nathan sighed. "She might be distracted for a few days, but she's got a good ranking, so I'm not concerned with that."

"It's been a while since her grandmother had to go the hospital…"

"I suppose it has been…" A heavy air hung between them, each focused on their respective drinks, neither really wanting to touch about the subject, but neither wanting to keep quiet about it either.

"What do you plan to do with Mira if – you know?" Kotetsu broke the silence first. A depressing sigh fell from bare dark lips, pink-rose eyes staring into the fruity liquor of his glass.

"I really rather not think about it, but – her grandmother doesn't even know she's a Hero, and I don't think Mira plans on mentioning that any time soon," he grieved. "I don't even know if I can claim guardianship over the girl if it comes down to it…" His thought seemed to trail off for a moment, before Nathan shook his head, giving the dark-haired man standing with him a stern pout. "Why are we even talking like this? The woman still has a good several years left according to the doctors. Geeze, why do you always have to make things depressing?" Kotetsu smiled that time, letting out a low chuckle as he took a long drink from his glass.

"Sorry, guess I'm just a downer about these things," he answered in a light tone. Nathan wasn't fooled, slowly putting his glass down on the counter as he closed the distance between them, reaching a hand to rest against the man's forearm. The smile dropped from the angular face, honey-brown eyes avoiding the pink-haired man giving him a worrying glance.

"Want to stay the night?" Nathan offered. Kotetsu shook his head.

"No, it's fine – it'll lead to something I know I'll regret, even if you won't."

"Aw, now that's just mean," Nathan huffed, giving him a sulking pout. The expression looked out of place without the light colour make-up, Kotetsu backing up a bit to put some distance between them.

"Besides – we aren't exactly alone, you know," he motioned to the couch. Nathan let out an agreeable hum, eyes glancing over to where Barnaby was still lying, dozing soundly under the blanket. Kotetsu walked over to the couch, gently tapping the blond to wake him up; when that didn't work, he shook him careful by the shoulder, mint green eyes startling awake as they blinked up at the older man hovering over him. Barnaby fumbled a bit, reaching to rub at a kink in his neck as he sat up.

"Mm sorry…" he apologized softly. "How's – everything?"

"Fine for the time being; Mira's grandmother is stable and should be out of the hospital in a few days," Nathan answered. "Sorry for troubling you both like this – maybe next time I take you out for dinner, it won't end in an emergency." Kotetsu only waved a hand, saying it was no trouble, Barnaby nodding in agreement as he wiped his glasses clean first before putting them on his face. The pair thanked their companion for the dinner out, gathered their jackets and shoes and headed towards the door, Nathan walking them as he stood at the entrance.

"We'll hang out again soon~" Nathan waved. Kotetsu only made a gruff noise, Barnaby giving a small smile as he nodded his head. Before they could leave down the hall towards the elevator, Nathan stopped them, gesturing to Kotetsu. "Not so fast, Kotetsu – aren't you forgetting something~?"

"…you can't be serious…" the man gave him an incredulous look. Nathan planted a hand to his hip, giving the man a stern look; Kotetsu growled before tracking back to the door, leaning over to plant a light peck on the expecting cheek. "Good night…Ember…" he hissed through clenched teeth. Nathan only snickered, returning the gesture.

"Good night~ Tiger~" he cooed. Barnaby felt a slight pang in his chest at the display, quickly smothering it and hoping it didn't show on his face. The sly grin spreading across dark features was saying otherwise. "Would you like a goodnight kiss too, Handsome~?" Nathan winked. Barnaby shook his head, not even cracking the smallest hint of a smile as he turned his back to the pink-haired man.

"No, thank you…" he snapped, surprising himself. Nathan didn't seem to mind, waving goodbye to them before closing his front door and locking it for the night. Kotetsu muttered and grumbled under his breath before motioning to elevators, Barnaby not saying a word as they walked down the corridor in silence to head for the elder's home.

**-Chapter Seven/End-**

**Author's Note:**

> "Ii yo, ii – daijoubu dakara shinpai shinai yo!" = "Yeah, of course - I'm fine, so don't worry about it!"


End file.
